Sharingan of Deception, Blade of Resentment
by ninjatshadowcat
Summary: When Natsu lost an eye while protecting a girl from being unfairly tortured, he saw a strange figure in the shadows. On the verge of death, Natsu agreed to a deal: to allow that person's soul to inhabit his body, in exchange for gaining a great and unknown power to survive. Strong, smart, and slightly OOC Natsu. Natsu x Kagura pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Sharingan of Deception, Blade of Resentment**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto  
**

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**A/N: This is a challenge from SmoKyWeeDz. Here are some notes before hand:**

**1.) Madara will be the only character from Naruto in the Fairy Tail world, so I made the first chapter quite long in the Naruto world. And Fairy Tail characters will not be teleported to the other world either.**

**2.) Natsu will be kind of OOC, due to his influence from Madara, so he's really strong and smart, but I decided not to make him god-like yet. **

**3.) The main pairing is Natsu x Kagura, but if you fellow readers want, I could add a small harem too.**

**4.) I'll follow some canon events, but it'll be different, you'll see...**

**Anyways...enough with my blabbering and enjoy the story! Please read and review!**

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Chapter 1

A young boy woke up, scared and lonely on the streets at night. It was at the hour where no one but the rats shadowed the streets. He searched frantically around him, trying to catch a whiff of the comforting, smoky scent and grasped for the familiar, scaly texture and warmth that was present in his dreams every night. However, all he found was emptiness. Loneliness dwelled deep inside him, as he remembered pieces of that blissful dream he would often have, but he knew that a dream could never replace the bitter reality. The memory of it was now too torturous to remember for the young dragon slayer. Enormous tears rolled down and stained his round, child cheeks as he hugged his knees, gathering all the warmth he could beneath the dying night lights. _Igneel…why did you do that? Why did you leave me? Did I do something wrong? I thought you were my dad…the only one I could love, but then…why? Why…WHY?!_ _I don't understand…anything…anymore_

"Father – please come back..."

* * *

Madara spat out a considerable about of blood. He was no fool to know that the war was about to come to an end. The Juubi has been extracted from Obito, and his Eye of the Moon plan was soon to end. However, there was no way the Uchiha was willing to admit defeat, when his plan was just about to transform into reality. _I have forced Obito to use the 'Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu,' before he reached the end of his life in order to revive my human body, but it has become completely futile, now that Hashirama has managed to partially merge with the wood cells of my body. I am held captive…and if I don't do something soon, I will be killed._

He glared at the Senju, hate and loathing marked deep in his eyes. _Damn you…Hashirama…you will pay!_

The Senju stared at his opponent's furry, seemingly enjoying Madara's useless struggle. Giving him that expression Madara loathed since they were childhood friend, he said. "You might as well give up, Madara. We all want the war to end. It has wasted quite of both our time already, you know."

Madara almost spat at him. _You call my ultimate creation, purely created to satisfy you shinobis' selfish desires, a waste of time?! I won't allow the plan to end in such haste!_

Anger has driven Madara to the edge. He saw the First Hokage's, _Senpō: Myōjinmon_, which still held down the Juubi with a massive torii that firmly locked its target's neck. The other four Hokages mobilized their chakra to form a crimson-red, unified barrier,_ Shisekiyōjin_, locking the Juubi completely from thrashing about and destroying its surroundings. Everyone appeared so…relaxed. And that was what drove Madara insanely angry. Even the lowest of the low shinobis seemed to be nearly in a celebrated mode, cheering their fellow 'heroes' on. The medics have leapt from the crevices and ran to the wounded, forgetting that they were healing on the battlefield. Madara clenched his teeth. The entire scene displayed in front of him was a scene of mockery. To laugh at his pitiful defeat.

Madara refused to back down. He decided to do the only thing that would free himself from Hashirama's grasps, even if it means never being able to perform any more jutsus. In other words, he knew he would become powerless and bow in defeat in front of the Allied Shinobi Forces. However, if he was going to reseal the Juubi while the others are completely caught off guard, it was now or never.

Even though Madara was nearly blinded by rage, he knew that he needed to remain calm to make the Senju to trust him first. Otherwise, he really was good as dead. As if grieving for his wretched acts, the treacherous man lowered his head. "Hashirama…"

Hashirama was suddenly aware that he was still connected to his opponent, and he has already made it clear to Madara that he was willing to die and be sealed with him for eternity, if doing so stops him from his malevolence acts. "Madara, you know that there's no negotiation you could – "

_Negotiation? What a fool, _Madara thought, trying to suppress his smirk. "H-Hashirama. I wish to atone for my sins. This war was not what I had intended to create. I have not reached the goal, but yet – I understood that the _Infinite Tsukyomi _served as the wrong purpose to erase conflict in the world. This war, has for the first time, brought me to my senses that peace wouldn't cease to exist in an idealistic world. I understood that conflict doesn't necessary have to be against another shinobi. At times, the enemy could be myself, and I was haunted and worried by my past, always deemed a failure and untrusted by even my closest comrades. Now, perhaps, if I could contribute to the final stage of bringing the newfound stability to the shinobi world, then I believe my soul would truly find its peace."

Hashirama studied Madara, confused and somewhat delighted to hear his long ago comrade's new sought resolve. For the first time, he saw a flicker of remorse in Madara's downcast, onyx eyes. Hashirama knew how tricky and deceptive Madara could be, but he really felt the pain and anguish in the Uchiha's words and eyes. An unrest that needs a final consent to leave in peace.

Hashirama saw flashbacks of when they were young, skipping stones along the river, then when they sat above the foundation of the soon-to-be village, talking endlessly about making the world a better place and becoming Hokage. For the very first time since then, when their friendship was still strong, the reanimated Senju found a resemblance, a hope that possibly deep down the Uchiha, the dear hold friend who always fussed about losing at skipping stones, who always shared brilliant ideas and dreams, was still there.

Judging from Hashirama's softening eyes, the Uchiha smirked inwardly. _Hashirama, that soft heart of yours will be your greatest downfall!_

Expectedly, the Senju sighed. "Very well, Madara. Let's wrap up this war. If helping is your only ambition, then there certainly is something that we need you to do. But don't get the wrong idea, Madara. Nothing has changed between you and the world – or Konoha. This doesn't mean that we have forgiven you from your deceitful acts. This is your own will."

Madara nodded. "I understand."

"Alright then," the Senju continued, relaxing the tension between their connected shoulders. "I'm sure you are familiar with the Sage of Six Paths' Ying-Yang abilities. I know that you, with the Sharingan and your Yin-Yang abilities, will be able to split the centered chakra of the Juubi back into the nine tailed-beasts. And this task is one that only you could complete."

"I see," Madara appeared thoughtful, though his brain was plotting urgently. "The Uchiha's jutsu, _Izanagi_, was based on the principle of _the Creations of All Things_, which the Sage of Six Path utilized to split the Juubi into nine individual beings. However, there is a great cost."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Madara paused before replying. "The Sharingan will lose its abilities to function ever again."

Both shinobis were silent. Hashirama sighed. "That is your choice, Madara. As you said yourself, if you are willing to cooperate with us, we will accept it, but…there is a cost for everything in this world, Madara. There are risks and chances…it's only a matter which one you're willing to take."

_Very well. Then I will take the chance and prevail! _Madara thought triumphantly, though his expression was unusually calm. "I suppose this is a cost I'm willing to do the task, though, in order to clean the once honored name of my clan. Very well. Take me to the Juubi and I will perform the necessary jutsus."

Hashirama knew that Madara was too risky to trust, but there really was nothing to lose. All four Hokages were still maintaining the barrier, and it would be impossible to reach the Juubi, or for the beast to escape. There were also plenty of powerful, young shinobis who watched their backs. They have proven to the long-deceased Hokages that they were ready to take on the future and bring the world to a new stage. Moreover, the one factor than has prevented the Uchiha from betraying the Senju was the connection of the wood cells of their bodies. With that advantage in mind, he was the one in control of Madara's chakra, and he prevented him from attacking them with any more of his jutsus or genjutsus.

Bringing him to the front of the barrier, Hashirama shouted to the other Hokages, "Hey – do you mind releasing the prison of the Juubi, Hokages?"

Tobirama stared at his brother in disapproval. "Brother – what will you accomplish by following _that _traitor's orders? I hope you won't be deceived by his false trust."

Madara glared at the younger Senju, but he kept his mouth shut. _He's always the one behind Hashirama, who tried to foil my plans. He despised me the first moment we met, and he was the one who created the rift between Hashirama and my alliance. _

The Uchiha watched as Hashirama described to the Hokages what their "plan" was. Little did the foolhardy Senju know, his brother may be right this time. While the two brothers argued about different sides of the plan, the Third and Fourth Hokage observed Madara, but they didn't find a trace of arrogance or betrayal in his eyes.

Finally, they made the decision. Hashirama seemed to persuade the other two Hokages, but Tobirama was stubbornly against his brother's decision. When he realized there was nothing he could do to make his brother trust him, Hashirama simply ignored him. The Third and Fourth Hokage found the request reasonable, since Hashirama was the one in control, so they willingly took the barrier down. They had the shinobis from each village bring their tailed beast's sealing container. They warned the Kages to subdue the beast once it gets released. When everything was in control, they all gave Hashirama a confirming nod.

"Alright, Madara," the Senju said. "We'll leave the other part to you. Tell me which hand sign to match with yours, and I'll perform the jutsu alongside you. I should be able to provide enough chakra to benefit the success of this – "

Madara chuckled darkly. Hashirama glanced at him, noticing that something felt off. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Hashirama…you are…naïve as always!" Hashirama gasped in surprise as he noticed blood dripping down the corner of Madara's tightly shut, right eye.

"You – "

_Too late, Hashirama._

"_**Amaterasu!"**_Madara's eye opened wide, revealing the spiraled shape of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, blood dripping down the corner of his eye. Horrendous black flames erupted from the Uchiha and Senju's connected shoulder.

_How could you, Madara? I thought…but I can't believe you managed to cut off your chakra flow so naturally and then focus all your energy on that one eye. You really are desperate to live after all…giving up your left arm just to be free, _the Senju grinded his teeth, feeling no pain through his reanimated body, but the black flames were also chewing up his body, making his movements inconvenient to guard himself from Madara.

However, Madara was also nearly swallowed by his own flames. Immediately his eye widened further, until he completely extinguished the flames that gnawed his flesh. Blood pooled beneath his missing limb as he felt a sudden dizziness of blood lost, but medical ninjutsu would have to wait for later. At this moment, the battlefield tensed, all eyes focused on him. Tobirama sighed, knowing the outcome of his foolish brother since the beginning. The other two Kages immediately took their stance, prepared to attack Madara. But before they could make another move, Madara activated his other Mangekyo Sharingan, and made eye contact Juubi's single eye. Just like when he manipulated the Kyuubi, the Juubi's pupil contracted, as it drifted into a state of being manipulated. With an atrocious roar, the battlefield once again became hell.

The Fourth Hokage used his body flicker technique and appeared in front of Madara. "You're too slow – "

But the Juubi immediately reacted and split the land in two, resulting in the entire landscape turning into a valley. Madara smirked. "You should take a look at yourself first before judging others."

"Dad!" A new voice echoed from above. Glancing upwards, Madara noticed a flaming bright figure teleport beside the Fourth. _Now I have the Kyuubi's vessel and the backups here. Needless, the Sharingan and Rinnegan will suffice for holding them off for some time. After all, I am now only one step away from breaking the world from its pitiful chains._

Naruto faced Madara, anger and disbelief reflected in his eyes. "How could you…the First Hokage trusted you and gave you another chance…how could you do that to him?!"

Madara smiled wickedly. "I held a certain degree of respect for you, child, but there's nothing I could do if you don't understand the purpose of living."

Naruto's Kyuubi cloak blazed. "The only one who doesn't know of living is you! SO SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

_What temper, _Madara thought, before grabbing his gunbai and blocked three of Naruto's _Chōōdama Rasengans_, using _Uchihagaeshi_ to defect Naruto's attacks, and throwing him to the end of the valley. By this time, all the Hokage's and Kages have gathered into the pit of the valley. Even Sasuke and Sakura leapt in behind Madara.

"My brother was a fool for putting faith in a traitor, but this is the end of you, Madara." The younger Senju said narrowing his sincere, red eyes at him, as the others along him prepared their attack.

Without pause, Sasuke summoned a partially completely skeletal frame of the Susanoo, before forming the orbs of black flames from Susanoo's third hand into magatama projectiles, and threw them straight at Madara, who managed to block it by immediately summoning his Susanoo. **"**_**Enton: Yasaka no Magatama!" **_Onoki and A stared at Sasuke in dismay, surprised that he was, in fact, helping his enemies._ As if we'll forgive you for everything you've done just because you joined our side of the war, Uchiha brat. I'll just jail __**both **__you Uchihas! _A thought, changing into his lightning release armor, heating up for his attack.

At the other side of the valley, Garaa gathered all the sand he could pull, and with a flick of his fingers, columns of sand erupted upwards from beneath Madara's feet, unexpectedly driving him upwards.

When Madara leapt upwards, seemingly dodging Gaara's attack, the Raikage aims at him from a high vintage point, preparing to land the final, explosive attack. The blue coat of lightning cackled, as the muscular man loomed over his prey, before shouting, _**"Raigyaku Suihei Choppu!", **_chopping down horizontally into the Susanoo, until there was a satisfying "crack". All of a sudden, Madara's Susanoo disappeared, either because he has nearly reached his limit, or because A's attack was proven effective enough to utterly shatter the frame.

"_**Suiton: Suijinchū!" **_Mei Terumi, the Mizukage shouted, while sending near dense, curved, water torrents from her mouth, forming a strong defensive, defending her team from any attacks the sly Uchiha might return. However, as the smoke cleared, they realized Madara himself was gone. In his place, instead, was a spatter of black substance.

Naruto frowned. "I remember that negative energy coming from that _thing_…the black, half-person thing that grew roots on the other half and tripped my shadow clone when – "

"Black Zetsu," Mei summarized, thoughtfully placing her chin between her thumb and fist. "He attacked my division when we protected the feudal lords. But why would he – "

The Fourth Hokage chuckled. "He was formed by the wood nature and Yin-Yang energy, which was likely generated from Madara's illusionistic part, which was Madara's will. So then, before the Raikage's final impact, Madara possibly decided to dodge it by managing to switch places with an exact clone that has his chakra, but modified."

Before the others could acknowledge Minato's analytic intelligence, the Third Hokage exclaimed, "Above!"

From high above, the numerous humanoid and animal-like creatures poured in, carrying various weapons of all sizes. The allied-forces grimaced at the sudden increase of enemies.

"Argh…not again!" Sakura complained, but still, she gathered chakra to her right fist. "The Juubi's duplicates!"

"I see," the Kazekage said, swapping the nearest creatures swiftly with the edge of his sand. "Madara switched out quickly so he would get enough time to seal the Juubi into himself. And – I believe he has managed to manipulate the Juubi, therefore, it was his plan all along to get us cornered in the pit of the valley."

"You guys," Naruto said, as he slammed another _rasengan_ into the nearest duplicate. "I'm going up to stop Madara first – after all, he only has one arm. If we defeat him before he seals the Juubi, then the war is over!"

-o0o-

Madara could barely contain his excitement – his pleasure that the world was truly crumbling beneath his fingertips. He stood at the top of the Juubi, controlling its every move and easily manipulated the battlefield. _Those fools. They truly underestimated one of the most esteemed and powerful shinobis, especially one who holds both the Sharingan and Rinnegan! Now – I could create a temporary substitution for my left arm using Yin-Yang energy before I could perform the seals…_

Using his only hand, the Uchiha reached towards his swollen shoulder and opened his Sharingan. but before he was able to manipulate his wood cells to work with his genjutsu, a sudden pressure was exerted onto his right hand, as he noticed in shock that his arm was being sucked into a swiveling vortex.

It was then, with a sickening _snap_, his only arm split.

Now both of Madara's limbs were destroyed. His right arm only remained a stud, which was bleeding uncontrollably with no medical ninjutsu to stop it. He body lost so much blood he no longer felt the pain of moving his body. He stared at the man who unraveled himself through his time-space ninjutsu with anger and impatience.

"You're not going anywhere," the copy ninja said, revealing his own, pin-wheeled, Mangekyo Sharingan, but he was not making eye contact. _I managed to stop him in time by activating Kamui and dragging in most of his arm, but my main priority now is to separate him from the Juubi. One could only control the Juubi if he has the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and wood cells. So if I take either –then…there is possibility of I send him to my other dimension, and back after we have control over the Juubi._

"I might as well destroy you, and then rip out your "borrowed" Sharingan," Madara threatened, as the Juubi also turned towards the Konoha ninja.

Kakashi care-freely chuckled. "But how will you do that without fingers?"

The Juubi roared, as its roar ripped through its path, towards the silver-haired ninja. He leapt into the air, barely missing the attack. Crouching behind the nearest stone, he covered his Sharingan, preparing to land another _Kamui_ at Madara, who probably thought of his actions as cowardly. However, Kakashi had to wait for his chance, or else Madara would surely dodge it in time.

"_**Mokuton: Hotei no Jutsu!"**_ a voice hollered from below, as a number of wooden hands from below erupted and restrained the Juubi. Madara didn't seem taken aback or worried by the attack. Instead, he was pleased.

"Ah – Hashirama," he grinned. "I was beginning to wonder if my _Amaterasu _really killed you that easily. As expected, you never failed my expectations."

_Madara still isn't aware that he has already lost the war, _Hashirmama sighed. _Or maybe he's just too stubborn to acknowledge that fact. _"I'm disappointed in you, Madara. You have failed my expectations, and now you really are going to die. This time – by my own hands."

Before Madara could reply, he felt a chakra presence behind him, wielding large amounts of chakra. "I'm going to kick your ass!" a voiced shouted.

Spinning around, Madara saw Naruto use _Bijū Rasengan,_ and he had to detach himself from the Ten Tails in order to dodge the massive attack in time. _Damn that Sharingan user…he used up the time I had to seal myself! Now it's only a matter of time before they all return. I might as well activate Susanoo, _Madara thought, as he summoned the blue flames of his Susanoo.

_Now. _

Kakashi opened his scarred eye, revealing his Sharingan before pinpointing it at Madara's Sharingan, which he believed was a worse threat than his Rinnegan at this moment. Madara realized too late that he was being sucked through the space-time ninjutsu, and with his _Susanoo _not yet complete to interfere, there was nothing he could do.

Yet at the final moment before he was going through the dimensional portal, he used his sole Rinnegan to urge the Juubi to attack the copy ninja. _Juubi, destroy him!_

"Kakashi-sensei! LOOK OUT!" Naruto shouted, but it was too late. The Juubi roared before lifting up its tremendously large, humanoid hand and clawed Kakashi hard. Kakashi's body immediately went limp as he was forcefully slammed into a nearby flooding river. As his body was embedded into the surrounding water, Kakashi's world disappeared from view.

-o0o-

"Sensei, wake up."

The silver-haired jounin slowly regained conscious, as he felt the throbbing at the back of his head cease, but nonetheless, he was still heavily injured.

"Does you head hurt, sensei?"

Immediately, he felt a pair of hands work on his head, as warm and comforting streams of chakra gathered around his wounds. He felt his pain melt away and his tendons and nasty gashes sealed. He knew that it was his pink-haired pupil healing him, but at this moment, he didn't want anyone with him. _Guys…don't…mind me. The Juubi…Madara…the war…_

"Don't make that face, Kakashi," a familiar voice told him. "You'll get more wrinkles than when you age."

Something felt strange to Kakashi. Everyone were so calm, as if the war ended –

Kakashi bolted upright, which he immediately regretted when he scars along his spine opened, a jolt of pain spasm through his muscles. A pair of hands held him down.

"Sensei – take it easy, for Kami's sake! There's nothing you need to do now that the war has ended."

As his eyes began to focus, Kakashi finally regained conscious. He stared at his students, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke – and his former teacher, Minato. They were all smiling, relieved to see him alright.

"Hey sensei, don't stare at us like that! Don't you remember what happened? You sucked in Madara and then the Juubi revolted and threw you really hard into the river. Luckily you were alive after that attack – wait…sensei…don't tell me you have amnesia!" Naruto said, horrified at the thought.

_Oh right…Madara…wait – _"Something is wrong."

The other's stared at the jounin, his voice so soft that they thought they mistaken what he said.

"Something is wrong," Kakashi repeated, anxiety getting the better of him.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked, concern written across his face.

"Madara…he's not there."

"Huh? What are you talking about, sensei? We all know you sucked him into – "

"That's what I mean," Kakashi said, finally making eye contact with his ignorant, blond pupil. "He's not there. He's not where I thought I sent him!"

There was dead silence. "Where did you send him then, sensei?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted. "I was thinking of sucking him into that secluded dimension until we capture the Juubi, but at the last moment, he struggled and told the Juubi to attack me, so I guess – the Juubi attack me the moment I was sending him to that dimension, which must've disorted the path that I used to teleport him."

"It may have been a good thing, though," a new voice echoed from behind, who turned out to be Gaara, followed by the other Kages. They were all tattered and hurt, but they stood victorious. "The last thing we need is to see him again in this world. If you sent him to a different dimension, then it saves the world plenty more trouble."

"Yeah – the last thing we ever want to see is an Uchiha," the Raikage said, before giving a suggestive glance at Sasuke, who in return, grunted.

"You're a hero, Kakashi," Might Guy appeared beside him, while giving him a thumbs up. "As expected from my rival."

While many people surrounded Kakashi, praising him and cheerfully celebrating in the middle of the battlefield, Hashirama stood beneath a tree, which was lucky enough to not get crushed by the war. The reanimated Senju wore a smile on his face, but it was a sad one. He looked up at the clear, rising moon.

"Madara…you really did it now. Probably it was better for you to get sent to another dimension. Otherwise…I doubt I could've landed the final attack. But whether you live, or die in that other world, you will change its history for sure. And that history itself will repeat."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairytail**

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_There are flames everywhere._

_I see families – everyone in the village is escaping the men who charged into our village. They set the houses on fire, the field on fire, and everything that we called home on fire. They looted our homes, taking irreplaceable, precious items from our homes. However, what horrified me the most was the massacre taking place. The father was yelling at his wife. His wife nodded, before taking the child and running out of the house. The woman tried telling her son that everything was alright and that his father will be coming too, even though the woman herself was shaking so hard, she could barely keep her own tears from falling. It was still useless. The father did what he could, blocking his family from the enemies, but he was slayed without pity, his blood poured over the path which his family used to escape. They soon find the mother, before she also faced the same fate, while she held her only child dearly to her, until the murderers pried his chubby, tiny fingers from his dead mother. The cry of that child never left me. Around me, fire and dead bodies reeked the village. I kept moving forward, my legs carrying me forward, even though I knew what I was about to see. I didn't want to see it, but my legs kept dragging me forward, until I was at the destination. I have no choice but to continue watching._

"_Brother, why is it so noisy outside? Are there fireworks tonight?" a small figure asked, rubbing her eyes._

_The boy was uneasy. "Uh – I think so. Yes, there are fireworks."_

"_Let's go see the fireworks, Brother!" the smaller, dark-haired girl smiled, excited. "Maybe there's a festival, and – "_

"_Little sister, I want you to stay here." The boy turned to her, smiling gently to her. Worry was written across his face, but the girl was too young to notice._

"_But why, Brother?"_

"_Well, you still have a cold, and it's way past your bedtime," the boy explained patting his sister's head, but the girl pouted, upset._

"_But brother…"_

_The boy's expression softened. "I'll go to find Luke…maybe he'll have some spare fireworks. And if you're cold is gone tomorrow, we could set up the fireworks in front of our house. But for now, I want you to stay and rest."_

_The girl reluctantly nodded. "Okay. But be safe, Brother!"_

_The boy smiled. That was the last smile I ever saw from my brother._

"_Thanks, little sister. I'll be back sooner than you think, so don't go anywhere and wait for me!" my brother said, rushing outside. While my younger self knew nothing of what was going to happen, I had the urge to shout and stop him from leaving, knowing that the moment he steps outside, he won't be coming back. Ever. I knew this was a dream, a mere nightmare, but there was always a spark of hope that I could prevent losing my only brother again. But I couldn't move. My eyes stuck to the scene, unable to do anything except watch the mistakes of the past. Regret filled me._

_The setting changed. I was running, or to be more precise, following my younger self run through the woods. She was panicking. Her tiny, laced dress was being torn by the shrubs, but she was too anxious to care. It was until now, when the moon rose high into the night, that she has realized that something was wrong. I wanted to tell her that it was no use, that Brother was already taken, but the small figure running couldn't hear me anyways, her tears pooled out. I know she was crying because of worry, confusion, and most of all – fear. Fear that something happened to her brother. Fear that she would never see him again. _

_She tore down the vines and dried leaves that Brother must've used to hide the entrance to the house. Since we lived in a tiny house behind the woods, the army probably discovered our home much later. However, it probably wasn't enough time for me to survive, so Brother probably covered the entrance of the path in order to keep me safe. But maybe Brother was caught, because of me. _

_I am now with my younger self in the middle of town. When she ran past the slayed heaps of bodies, she didn't scream. She didn't have time to scream. The only thing she thought about was the possibility of her brother being one of those unlucky victims. As huge drops of tears fell, she hastily brushed them. While running, she kept calling for her brother, but her only reply was the cackling fire. Standing in front of a burning building, lost and frightened, she softly called out to her brother. Little did she know, the captors already have heard her voice._

"_Brother…where are you?" the little girl cried._

_However, just as she was crying between sobs and tears, another girl, slightly older than she was with crimson-red hair, grabbed the raven-haired girl's wrist. Urgently, she said, "You'll get caught if you stay in the open!"_

"_B-But…my big brother…"_

_I followed them to an alley, where there was an abandoned crate. However, the crate was only spacious enough for one person. Without hesitation, the kind, red-haired girl helped her into the crate, before saying, "Hide!"_

_From the other side of the building, we heard the atrocious men notice our presence._

"_What about you?" my younger self asked, realizing that if the other girl couldn't hide in time, it was the end for her._

_To her surprise, the girl casually smiled, not showing the least bit of worry or fear. "I'll find somewhere else to hide, don't worry about me."_

_Before she closed the lid of the crate, she smiled confidently and reassuringly. She wore a smile I could never forget. "Live on," she said, closing the lid with a thump._

_Two of the men ran towards the scarlet-haired girl. She began to run, but it was obvious that she was couldn't outrun the treacherous men. "I found one!" "Grab her!"_

_The scene unfolded in front of me, slowly, as if every second was to tease me of my cowardice and futility. I tried to move my fingers and my feet, to at least do…something. But I watched, torturously, as the dirty hands of the men approached her and grabbed her – _

"NO!"

A young girl with raven-hair bolted upwards, into a sitting position. Her large, brown eyes flew open, as she took a look at her surroundings. She was back in the attic. Her body was drained with sweat, and her nerves were still anxious, as if she was having a hard time adjusting to reality. When she touched her lower eyelid, she felt the marks of the tears stain her cheeks. It was one of those nightmares about her past. She had and hated those dreams since years ago, but she could never avoid them. _Brother and that girl…they both got caught because of me…and I was in their way – no, there is still hope. I should leave here soon and continue on my way, finding them. _

Realizing how horribly dusty the attic was, she wheezed. The fact that rats inhabited the attic didn't help improve the condition for the girl. Brushing herself from the dust, she stood up. _Today must be Saturday…wait no – yesterday was Saturday…that means…today is Sunday!_

Alarmed, the girl crawled out the entrance of the attic and leapt down the stairs, as she was anxious to see the person she dreaded to meet. The stairs creaked, beyond repair, which made the girl tip-toe delicately. However, the moment she reached the foot of the stairs, she met, face-to-face, the rent woman, who was only ever interested in money. She had a hunched back, but her tiny, vulture-like eyes glared at the girl, who gulped nervously.

Digging into her patched, seam-ripped pocket, the small girl hastily dug out a stack of Jewels. The money-tight woman snatched the notes immediately before counting through them, not missing a single one. Unsatisfied, she grunted as she tucked the notes into her gaudy purse, accenting her snobbish personality. Glaring at the girl, she narrowed her eyes even more. "Just what did you think you were doing, kid? Trying to fool me with a stack of ten Jewels?! Do you take me as a fool, huh?!"

"I-I'm sorry…"the girl whispered. "B-But I'll pay the remaining ten Jewels after my shift today –"

"Listen kid," the woman snarled, pointing an equally gnarled finger at the child. "You are leaving today."

The girl's honey-brown eyes widened, her mouth opened, but she was speechless. "B-but, I promise I'll pay you the rent today. This is the only place I could afford and – "

"Too bad, kid," the woman continued, uninterested. "I'm raising the weekly price. Four-hundred Jewels each week from now on. This is the one of the worst parts of one of the worst towns, where many people are begging to even get to sleep in an attic. I know many folks who are willing to pay more than your useless, little pocket money. If a helpless kid like you need a roof over your head, you might as well go to the orphanage or sell yourself to a master, and be a maid. I'm sure many men around here enjoy taking in girls your age – "

The young girl clenched her teeth, unable to stand that woman. She turned to the doorway, and without a word, she bolted outside into the gloomy streets.

"Hey, kid!" the arrogant woman ran to the door, before shouting, "Don't forget to pay the rest of your rent!"

The girl continued running, not replying or glancing back at that despicable woman. She tried to hold back her tears, but it was still useless. As she stopped to a halt and allowed her tears to flow, she realized how truly helpless she was the past few years. Strangers who passed by stared at the small girl, but they quickly quickened their pace, avoiding her.

After her village was destroyed, she fled to nearby towns. However, the small towns were usually destroyed, or the people heard of the child abducting news and fled already. She had rummaged the burnt and collapsed houses and heaps of wood, but she found nothing edible. Rotting and bloodied bodies filled the streets. When she collapsed on a path, starving and tired, a kind, travelling couple found her and brought her to their house in the countryside. They were friendly to her, providing her with food and clothing. They even asked to adopt her. However, the girl realized that the longer she stays, the less likely she would be able to find her brother. So she kindly lied to the couple, saying that her family was waiting for her at Freesia Town. So they gave her a thousand Jewels, packed her a load of organic food, and bid her a tearful farewell. Since then, she was travelling, using the money wisely and she asked people whenever she could if they saw strange men in cloaks who led countless chained children, to which they all replied, "No." For the first time out there, in unknown towns, the young girl learned about the dark, harsh reality. She was an easy target for lowly swindlers and thieves, who fooled the innocent girl and with that, her money disappeared in a blink. Soon, she was left wandering on the streets, and hungry often. When kind people offered her a place to stay, she would gladly stay and thank them, but she would always leave soon after, knowing that she would lose the resolve to find her brother if she becomes attached to a new home. But now…she was thrown back onto the streets, with no more money, food, or strength to leave the wretched town.

_That old hag, _the girl thought, rubbing her eyes while scolding herself for crying over every single thing that happens to her. _All she wants is money. As if I'll ever pay her another Jewel. But now that I'm alone…_

Suddenly aware of her surroundings, the girl shrunk. She noticed that she has wounded up in town's center, where she was warned by a fellow traveler when she got here. She was told to avoid that area, because it was somewhere that "uses poison as bait". The dark-haired girl never understood what the traveler meant, but she was sure that it was best to leave the town as soon as she could. _I should probably find the nearest train station…but…_

Searching through her pocket, the she remembered that the money all went to the old grouch. _And now I don't have money to even buy a train ticket. I guess I'll have to sleep outside tonight…but this town…_

The tiny girl shook with fear. She was beginning to see the true side of the town. A gang smashed open the nearest shop, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. The leader held an axe above the store keeper, an old man half the attacker's size, before he landed the hit. Glancing to the right, there was a pretty, young woman, scared and timid on the streets, trying to ask for directions. Suddenly from behind, she was gagged by a tall hoodlum, before being forced into a dark alley against her will. The girl froze as she heard muffled cries and shrieks escape from the alley.

Pacing ahead, the raven-haired girl turned a corner, trying to avoid the glances from the surrounding strangers. It was then, she noticed a sweet, bakery aroma waft from the bakery store opposite of her. She knew she had no money, but her stomach growled so desperately, the girl sighed and made her way down the cobblestone-paved street towards the building.

-o0o-

There was a beautiful, young lady smiling sweetly behind the bakery counter. Her soft, auburn hair dropped below her back, while her round, porcelain-like eyes sparkled, as she welcomed the customers sweetly in her revealing, satin dress. The male customers in return, usually goggled at the sight of the woman, often distracting them from ordering. The door opened, triggering the bells that were tied to it.

"Welcome to– "

The woman stopped midway, when she stared at the child that wobbled into the store, as if she'll collapse any moment. She looked unusually skinny; her bones accented her state of hunger, as she held a hand over her shrunken stomach. Her eyes darted around her, frightened of the rich men, who were the kind of people that looked down in distaste at poor people. The men, in returned, sneered or glared at the girl, daring her to advance. The girl, however, continued edging forward, until her face was nearly plastered to the glass. She stared into the glass shelf, marveling each and every loaf of bread and sweat. The bakery owner has never seen someone so desperately hungry, and she felt a sudden pang of pity for the starving girl. However, having a poor child wander freely into _her_ guild's bakery was considered as insulting as a slap in the face.

The woman cleared her throat. "Little girl, can you leave – "

Looking down, she saw longing, chestnut eyes, who stared back pleadingly with puppy-eyes, the woman felt more reluctant that ever to turn the girl away. "Child, I want you to leave."

The girl was still looking up at the woman, her gaze unaltered. That's it. The store keeper couldn't stand those large, somber eyes anymore.

"LEAVE!"

Everyone in the bakery was stunned. The woman's dark aurora was finally released, her eyes, now a mixture of bloody red and magenta, flashed demonically at the starving girl. The girl faltered only slightly, taken aback at the kind woman's sudden change of attitude, which was enough to scare all her customers. All the customers turned and fled, muttering that they wouldn't dare take on her wrath.

_Look what you've done, you wretched child, _the woman sighed, her maniacally twisted hair returned to its smooth, auburn state. _But I'm surprised you stayed…you really are a brave kid…even if you are poor and foolish._

When the lady checked outside and made sure that there was no way the customers would return, she wrapped a freshly baked cheddar baguette with transparent tissue paper. The girl's stomach rumbled at the smell of food. The woman noticed that, sighing before reaching out the baguette to the girl.

Slowly, the orphan reached the food with both hands. But she paused, suddenly aware of the monstrous power the lady in front of her possessed.

The lady in her sapphire blue satin dress huffed impatiently. "Just take it, kid. I don't think anyone would be coming back now that I scared most of the people – no…you're the fault everyone left!"

The girl gratefully took the long, cheddar baguette, but her expression dropped as she was scolded once again. "Oh – s-sorry about that…"

The woman chuckled, tilting her head to the right. She found the young child rather adorable when she stuttered. "Don't worry about it. As long as my guild doesn't find out that I willingly fed a poor kid food – hey…don't eat so fast! You'll choke yourself!"

Indeed, the child gagged on the food. Coughing into her sleeve, the guild member sighed again as she bent down and handed the girl a napkin. "Take your time. Sending a sick child to the hospital wouldn't be something I could do."

She stood up, before walking to the back of the bakery. "I'll get you some herbal tea. It should make you feel better."

The girl smiled, glad that she met a kind person, she could call a friend. She noticed a tattoo at the back of the woman's slender waist. It was lavender, the shape was an eye with a diagonal slash across the pupil. When she was out of sight, the child continued nibbling on the food, savoring every bite. She couldn't remember when was the last time she ate such a large baguette. The memory of her small cottage and the kitchen returned. Just thinking about the times with her brother brought tears to her eyes. The longer she stared at the piece of bread, the more she lost her appetite. The sudden urge of emotions caused intense sadness to fill her. Burying her head between her arms, she tried to remain calm, and to forget everything – everything that ever happened to her. _Maybe, I should join a guild. Maybe I'll get help from mages a-and…save Brother! Maybe if I –_

The door swung wide open.

The girl snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approach, seemingly possessing the power to shake the earth itself. Glancing up, she saw a group of colossal figures stand at the entrance. The tallest member glared at her, his shadow enveloped her small figure. The others also had foul features and they shot the girl equally repugnant stares. Compared to them, the street thugs were nothing. Trembling under the pressure, she dropped the bread.

From the back of the store, the lady with the lavender tattoo was humming a tune, unaware of the sudden appearance.

"Miranda."

The woman paused, her cheerful expression faded.

"F-Father…"

-o0o-

"Man, I need food."

A starving pink-haired boy rummaged through a pile of scraps thrown in a heap on the streets. When he woke up in the morning, he decided to continue on this journey of searching for a specific dragon, but as usual, the result was fruitless. He decided he needed food to restore his energy, but once again he was stuck in a town, where the only place to get food is to buy using currency, which is unfortunately, something the boy doesn't have. Now his sense of smell is worse than ever, with so many insanitary dumps and loads of waste left on the streets. It's no wonder rats even die, trying to dig for food in such a horrid place.

His stomach grumbled, reminding the dragon slayer to find food as soon as possible. Mumbling, he sluggishly began to drag his feet to through the streets. Looking around him, he realized that if he couldn't even distinguish the buildings from one another, much less than even trying to navigate correctly through the town.

_I know! I just have to climb to a higher point to see more of the town...just like how Igneel always taught me,_ the boy thought, before scrambling to the top of the nearest roof. _Nah – this isn't very helpful. How could I find food from up here if I – wait – if there's a smoking chimney, then there must be…Fire!_

As if reenergized, he leapt hastily from one building to another, excitement building up. A few onlookers frowned with disapproval at the child's act, but they decided to ignore it as they'd usually do. The boy didn't care the least bit of how other's stared at him. As long as his goal was in sight, he was more than content. _That's right…I'm a dragon slayer! I could eat fire, since after all, I'm Igneel's – _

The boy paused. The word, 'son', left a bitter taste on his tongue, as flashbacks of his early days with Igneel returned. He shook his head and resumed running towards the building. _Wait for me, Igneel…I'll find you! _

As he stood on the street parallel with the building, that turned out to be a bakery, his stomach growled urgently, either in hunger, or excitement. He was so close to finally getting a bite to eat. The strong bakery aroma didn't help settle his hunger, either. Crossing the streets, he found it strange that there were no one around. Ignoring the insecure feelings in his gut, he approached the building.

_Hmm…how could I get in? _the boy thought, checking the cracking brick-red wall of the building. He could've busted into the building, but he didn't want to get kicked out immediately, either. There was a door, but only a fool would enter that way. He circled around the building, trying to locate an entrance that would attract negligible attention. Rounding to the other side, he was satisfied to find a tiny, insignificant open-window.

That was when he noticed, something smelled wrong.

Sniffing around him, he caught a waft of…_blood._ Disgusted by the stench, the pink-haired boy covered his sensitive nose with his left hand. He smelled blood before, but never so close and intense. The blood smelled _fresh, _asif someone is bleeding right behind him…

Nervous, he turned around, expecting to see bloodshed, or some recently killed corpse. However, there was nothing. He was facing a shadowed, brick wall of an alleyway, but there was no blood or anything. The bloody odor still lingered, but there was no mark of proof. The young dragon slayer was sure he saw a flash of a man covered in blood, but the image was so vague and unclear, he decided he was likely hallucinating.

Turning away while he tried to settle his nerves, he propped himself up to the high window indent. He peered in, digesting what he was seeing. Something caught his attention. It wasn't the huge, brick oven or the shelves of bread. Staring at scene, he could tell that something horrible was about to take place. There was a woman, pale with fear, as she faced a group of men, who were the type of people the boy knew not to mess with. He didn't notice it at first, but there was also a girl lying helplessly between them.

He frowned. _I wonder what's happening…_

Scrambling down from the window ledge, he decided to observe behind the furnace. This was an opportunity to sneak some food or fire, but his curiosity got the better of his decisions. An uneasy feeling clogged the room. The dragon slayer had a dreadful feeling in his gut. The girl was going to be in grave danger.

-o0o-

The woman, Miranda, tried to explain, but nothing came out of her cherry-red lips. She couldn't believe her luck; her guild had returned from a mission at such a time. She knew that she would be looked down by her guild if she told them that she willingly gave a poor child food. It was, after all, considered an insult to the guild to ever spare the weak and poor kindness. She balled her fists by her side until her knuckles became white. A drop of sweat smeared her makeup as she faced her guild and her father, the guild leader.

"Milady, what is this piece of trash doing on our guild's property?!" The bulky, bald man hollered, his anger evident, as he spat out each word.

The girl glanced at Miranda urgently, scared of the man. She knew she angered them, but she didn't understand why. Her large eyes stared at her, begging for an answer.

Miranda avoided her gaze, feeling guilty and regretful. She was actually fond of the girl, but she knew that the future ahead of her wouldn't be pretty if she told the truth. Miranda knew she couldn't tell the guild what she did, so she said the only thing she could think of.

"T-That girl…she must've crept in and stole the food!"

The raven-haired orphan stared in shock at the woman, who accused her of doing something she didn't do. The lady's words pierced her so hard, she felt tears form at the brim of her eyes. Her eyes casted downwards, feeling humiliated of crying in front of a crowd of people. But what hurts the most, was that someone she wholeheartedly trusted – ended up betraying her so easily. _Trash…she thought I was no more than trash in the end. I thought she – I-I thought…_

The shortest man of the group snickered, a nasty grin forming beneath his pointy nose. "For a moment, I thought you abandoned the teachings of our guild, Miranda. I'm glad the princess of our guild didn't ruin her reputation _yet_."

Miranda shot him an equally nasty glare. The tall master of the guild, who wore a cloak, muttered, "Even though our mighty guild, Blinded Cyclops, shouldn't be bothering with such lowly civilians, I'm afraid we can't let you escape so easily. After all, you have a debt to pay."

The girl swallowed. "B-but I didn't steal – "

To her surprise, the members of Blinded Cyclops laughed and howled in joy. The crooked man with an abnormally twisted arm answered her gleefully, "You don't get it, do you, girly girl? Hee-hee. Let me tell you this. You don't get if you get to live or not…we do the judging for you! Do you have enough money to pay for that, girl?"

The girl slowly shook her head, her hands shaking at her side.

"See see? You can't even afford a good loaf of bread! What could you give to justify your actions, huh? You've got nothing, you hear me? Nothing!"

It was true that she didn't own or have anything aside from the torn dress and the ribbon tied around her head. But she refused to give in easily to admit something she never did. "But I never stole it, I swear! The lady gave me the bread – "

"What I hate more than filth and thieves are liars like you!" the bold man roared. "Are you trying to dirty the reputation of my lord's daughter? Know your place, you useless scum!"

"Quiet, Silas," the guild master ordered. "It's time we finish this, little one. In order to pay your debt, you'll have to perform a sacrifice."

The guild members howled in treacherous excitement. When the girl stared at them quizzically, the man with the pointy nose answered her, snickering, "In other words, if you couldn't pay using money, then you might as well pay with the parts of your body!"

The raven-haired child wasn't sure what they meant, but she knew they meant her harm. Getting up on both feet, she slowly backed away. Miranda shook her head at the sight and turned away. She knew that her guild was about to torture the girl, slow but deliberate. That was what her guild was known for. To torture and manslaughter the poor, which they considered justice by performing the 'an eye for an eye' ritual. In fact, the guild mostly consists of psychopaths and twisted-minded people, who enjoy watching such a show of bloodshed and agony. That was why Blinded Cyclops was a dark guild, one unapproved by the council. They didn't care if the girl did steal or not; they only wanted to break her, to see her beg in front of them and cry in pain.

"There is nowhere for you to run…" the master said, raising the palm of his rigid, right hand. The girl tried to turn and run, but a sudden force slammed her against the ceiling, knocking the air out of her lungs. Surprised, she gasped as she focused on staying conscious. She was thrown headfirst into the ceiling, as if the ceiling itself had sucked her up forcefully. _Argh…I can't…move…my body…it's like…the ceiling…is controlling…gravity…_

Before she could recollect her thoughts, her entire body dropped from the ceiling, and her head was suddenly caught by the master's hand. She felt him apply a strong amount of force to her head, nearly crushing her skull. When she yelped in pain, the surrounding members, laughed spitefully, enjoying every bit of the spectacle. A trickle of blood poured out from a gash beneath her black bangs, as it continued making its way down her face.

The guild leader gave a crooked smile. "Tell me…would you rather pay with your arm…or maybe you'd rather give up your leg first…"

Miranda pitied the tiny girl from behind the counter. She bit her lower lip, regretting letting the child stay. It was too late to fix the past now. She sighed, hoping the girl wouldn't be one of the traumatized civilians who were tortured both physically, and mentally. The girl squirmed, trying desperately to escape the gravity manipulator, but the gravity made her movements stiff and weak. _I don't want to die now…I still need to find Brother…and we'll live together in our village and stay together forever – but I'm still too weak. Too weak to do anything. I couldn't even protect myself…I could watch and wait to die…I'm so pathetic – _

"Hey, stop it!"

All heads turned to the back of the bakery. The girl heard a boy's voice echo from the back, but she couldn't turn her head to see who he was. The others saw a pink-haired boy make his way towards them, his face contorted in anger. He seemed to want to pick a fight, but for some reason he was holding back.

"Let her go," he said, crossing his arms in front of his bare chest. Judging from his size, the master thought he was slightly older than the girl.

The cloaked master chuckled darkly. "You've got some nerve, little one. But a crime has to be justified – "

"That's why you have to stop hurting her!" the boy roared. "Because she wasn't the one who stole food!"

The guild went silent. Miranda stared at the boy in shock. _Don't tell me…he actually saw that! _

The captured girl, upon hearing the voice of a complete stranger, managed, "W-Who…a-are – "

Pointing his thumb to himself, the dragon slayer shouted, loud and proud, "Because I was the one who taught her to steal!"

The despicable guild members grinned, finding a new target. Miranda was unconsciously shaking her head at the boy, knowing that it was obviously a lie. _She never had the intention to steal…and now a boy from who-knows-where, stepped in. I don't get it…why is he lying for something that never happened? Judging from the girl's bewildered expression, I'm sure she doesn't know him either…_

"That doesn't change a thing," the bald member groaned. "It's still the brat that stole!"

The pink-haired boy gritted his teeth. "But I _forced_ her to steal, so if you got a problem, then deal it with me first!"

The others laughed at the desperation in the dragon slayer's voice. Silas grunted, "I told you, if trash has been determined guilty, then he or she is found guilty. End of the story. If you want to die with her, then we will gladly judge you, too!"

"What did you say?!" the dragon slayer glared at the crowd.

"Since your guilt as being a thief and bad influence has been confirmed – "

"Silas, quiet." The guild master saw the fire burn strongly in the young dragon slayer's eyes, glowing with determination. Whether the boy's fists were shaking with either anger, or fear, the master realized that he was unlike any child he has met. _Yes – nothing could be more fulfilling than watching those spiritual and strong eyes break into despair. _Satisfied, he replied, "Very well, young one. It seems you are willing to fulfill the girl's debt…"

The boy nodded. The thought of escaping while he still could was very tempting, but leaving a girl to suffer so horribly just because of a baguette, seemed too wrong. He wanted unhesitatingly to blow all of them to smithereens. But they held the girl as a hostage, threatening to break her in one, swift move. After all, he remembered what Igneel told him. _Living your own life is amazing, but when you could save and protect another life, that's what I call a miracle of life. That was what I felt when I laid my eyes on you, Natsu._

The auburn haired lady tapped her nails urgently on the countertop, fearing for the worst. _Don't agree to the deal, boy. You don't understand Blinded Cyclops…when they find a target, they won't ever lose it. Leave the girl and save your own life…live while you still could._

"If that's the case, then you'll have to perform a sacrifice," the guild master smiled wickedly.

The boy shrugged, trying to look brave and indifferent. "Sure, whatever. Just make it quick."

Digging into his cloak, the master reached in a brought out a copper hilted knife. The dragon slayer braced himself for an attack. However, the master did the opposite of what he expected.

"Take it."

The pink-haired orphan caught the knife in mid-air, observing it carefully. It appeared to be a normal knife. Slightly rusted, but normal otherwise. "Child, I admire your courage, even if it is foolish – "

"Just make sure you release her afterwards," the boy muttered, flicking the smooth blade out and in repeatedly, his hands sweating uncontrollably.

"You have my word."

The dragon slayer looked up at the cloaked figure, trying hard to swallow the lump in his throat. He didn't like the sound of the 'sacrifice', but he couldn't turn back even if he regretted his choice. "Well…what is this 'sacrifice' I have to make then?"

"Use the blade…and cut open your eye."

* * *

**Yes! I'm finally done this chapter! (It took me soooooo loooong!) I know many of you were hoping for a chapter where Natsu finally meets Madara, but I decided to save the meeting and fighting for next chapter. Details and plot build-up is more important in my opinion, so I hope you understand.**

**There were many of you who reviewed, and first, THANK YOU! I read the harem suggestions, and I was considering something very similar along the line. But for now, I'm sticking with just the main pairing, because the plot is more important in my opinion. But I'll probably start the harem stuff during the Grand Magic Games arc. I'm still not sure how this story will really turn out, so I'm spending my energy plotting for now.**

**I'm sure next chapter will answer some of your questions of Madara and fighting related things. So keep reviewing to suggest anything more or ask anything! Once again, thanks to all who favourite, followed, and reviewed! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

The pink-haired boy gritted his teeth. He glared at the elderly man, who was grinning maliciously under his cloak. He didn't understand why the man and his guild wanted to torture the girl to such an extent. Being told to rip his out his own eye was even more confusing for the young dragon slayer. He continued flicking the knife open as he leveled his gaze with the man.

"F-father, maybe you're making this too sincere. Why waste our efforts on these little children?" Miranda tried persuading. "Even if the girl did steal – "

"Keep out of this, Miranda," the master ordered, his voice firm, before he turned his attention back to the dragon slayer."If you will proceed with performing the sacrifice – "

"I get it!" The boy hissed, switching the blade back on a final time. He glanced one more time at the girl, who was subdued by the gravity magic. He knew the captor's patience was wearing thin by the way his fingers flexed, releasing the tension before suddenly increasing it, threatening the girl's skull to crack.

Sighing, the child raised the tip of the blade close to his right eye, while closing his left. He felt a drop of sweat run down the left side of his face, as his right eyes focused on the tip of the incoming blade. His focus once again blurred when his hand shook; images of the blade splitting open the core of his eye, causing him to shriek as enormous amounts of blood crept uncontrollably down his face, devoured his courage, as his hands shook and dropped the blade.

The horde of people began laughing again. The boy stared at them, how hysterically they laughed, twisted joy replacing their earlier scowls. _So that was what they wanted to watch…they wanted to see me collapse from the challenge. Ha – as if I'll back down from that. It's just ripping out an eye, right? What's there to fear when that girl is already being beaten half unconscious? It's just an eye…_

The pink-haired dragon slayer knelt down and grasped the hilt of the knife. Miranda observed as he closed his right eye again, but something about him was unusually calm and certain. He cracked a half-smile as he weighed the knife in his right hand. _Well here goes nothing…_

With lightning speed, the knife ripped through his flesh, from his upper eyelid down to his lower cheek. The audience gaped in surprise at the boy's subtlety, their laughs and mocking cheers diminished to a hushed whisper. It happened so quickly, they didn't even get to witness the torture or misery on his face a second time. His hesitancy was now replaced by a satisfied smirk, his gaze leveled with the master's. Even though the long gash hurt and surprisingly stung horribly when the opening was exposed, he fought back the urge of lifting his left and covering his eye. He cringed when he wondered what would happen if he opened the bloodstained eye, if the eye itself might fall out of its socket. _I did it – it really does hurt, but the last thing I'll ever do in front of those people is to swallow my pride. _

Throwing the bloodied blade hard against the floor, he managed a half grin. He then realized that any movement will cause the muscles in the right half of his face to hurt intolerably. Ignoring the itch to scratch the wound, the spiky, pink-haired boy ordered, "Hey old man…you got what you asked for, so let the girl go."

To his surprise, the master grinned. "You never cease to surprise me, child. However, you only paid for half the deal."

The dragon slayer's prideful grin dropped. Something wasn't right. "Eh? What do you mean? You promised you'll release her!"

The dark mage chuckled, turning his hand so the girl faced the boy. Two streams of dried blood coated her face, while her mouth contorted in pain from the unshuttering gravity that was crushing her skull. Her eyes were tightly shut, and the boy could tell that she was also trying to conceal her pain. But the gravity manipulator suddenly tightened his hold, causing the girl to finally shriek in pain.

At the sight of that, the pink-haired dragon slayer clenched his teeth, his anger refueled. "You liar! You promised – "

"Yes – I promised I will release her. But I never said I'll release her 'alive'," The dark master grinned. As the boy understood the dire situation, he realized that he had been fooled. Completely fooled. His only eye widened, his onyx pupil contracted with hatred. Blood began to pour out of the gash once more as his face contorted in desperate anger and disbelief.

"Y-you bastard…"

It was too late. There was a sickening snap as the girl crumbled to the floor.

However, in that split second, the raven-haired girl's life was saved. The boy watched in utter shock and confusion at the auburn haired woman, who was also apparently a mage, had a teal, scaled serpent replace her arm. Her serpent arm has managed to coil tightly around the master's cloaked arm and bite down into his forearm, disrupting and paralyzing his magic before he had the chance to implode the tiny girl's head. From the looks of it, the serpent shattered the bones of his arm, as the master's arm fell lifeless to his side.

The master glared at her, while the others all stared with shock. The woman didn't flinch, as her father's anger burned, his glare increasing with every aching second. "Miranda – you traitor…to protect useless low lives, you – you dared to use your Take-over magic to hurt the master, your own father?!"

The lady hissed. "Father, you've gone too far this time – they are just kids! This guild – everything about it is wrong! That's why Brother left – "

"Don't dare you mention the treacherous traitor! I thought you knew better, but I suppose you were bound to follow in his footsteps…you will also be exiled from this guild!"

"_**Hydra's Soul!" **_the auburn woman hissed. The girl, who lay on the floor, managed to lift her head and ignore the heavy throbbing. She felt the demonic aurora from earlier ago vibrate from the woman, her satin dress fluttered violently, as she changed her appearance completely. She now wore a scaled, revealing armor with dark, long, venom-dripping claws. Her silky, long hair became thick, long strands, until they turned into a head-full of snakes, hissing and snapping at the enemy. Her legs were wrapped into a scaled, armored tail, providing her with greater agility to strike and bite. Turning to the girl, she hissed, "Run!"

Without a word, the girl understood. She got up, but sudden exhaustion knocked her over. The man with the crooked figure laughed giddily, as he hauled her up by her long, raven-black hair. "We're not done with you yet, girly girl – "

As fast as she had been hauled up, his gnarled hands immediately lost their grip. Glancing back her, she saw the master's blade being skewered into his shoulder. Another hand tightened on her wrist, dragging her urgently forward. "C'mon! You'll get hurt if you don't move fast enough!"

Looking in front of her, she saw the boy clearly for the first time. He had one sparkling onyx eye that shone recklessly and determined. The other eye was closed with that long gash, but even so, she couldn't help but find his features appealing. There was something striking and eye-catching she found about him, yet she couldn't bring herself to describe exactly what it was. As he brought her to the nearest window, he held out something in his left hand. It was her white ribbon, now smeared with blood.

"I thought I should grab this when it fell on the floor, since it probably meant something to you," he said, his fingers working clumsily on tying the ribbon around the girl's head. "Just like this scarf I wear – this was the only thing I have left from my father."

The girl noticed the scarf as the only adornment on his bare chest and it reminded her of the ribbon her brother gave her. She stared at him thankfully, glad and amazed of how observant he was. She smiled when she saw the pink-haired boy ruffle his hair in embarrassment. "I'm no good at tying ribbons I guess, but – "

"Thank you. Thank you for everything you did," the girl murmured wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his body stiffen under her touch, not expecting her to show such affection. But he returned it, resting her chin on his collarbone while gently running his rough hand along her hair.

"It's nothing really. Luckily, you weren't hurt – "

Their reunion was cut short when the Take-over woman crashed into the back of the bakery. That brought them back to their sense of urgency. Grabbing her waist, the young dragon slayer lifted her to the window. "Go on ahead – I still need to pay them back for what they did – "

"No, don't!" The girl shouted, desperately grabbing the boy's hands. "You'll die if you face them! The woman had a frightening aurora, but it's nothing compared to what the master held! You'll – y-you'll – "

The boy patted her hair, smiling radiantly and determined. "I wouldn't live up to my reputation as a dragon slayer if I don't kick their asses. It's time I show them the true power of the son of Igneel."

"Wait. What is your – "

The floor shook. The boy quickly let go of the girl, causing her to tumble harshly onto the paved cobblestones. She stared upwards, at the open window, remembering the last thing the boy mouthed to her. _"Live on."_

Getting up onto her sole-ripped sandals, she managed to half-hobble, half-sprint from the bakery. The building suddenly caught ablaze, followed by a thundering explosion. She looked reluctantly behind her, worried for the boy's well-being, but she knew there was nothing she could do. The villagers wouldn't have cared the least bit of what was happening to a poor, stray boy, much less trying to face that guild. She thought of warning people that there was a rapidly spreading fire, but who would listen if they wouldn't even look at her? In the end, she made her way to the east, deciding to find freight or cattle trains and the leave the wretched town immediately. _I don't know who you are, but I believe we'll meet again some other day. And when that day comes, I will be strong – and I will repay you with my strength. Until then…stay strong and no matter what…don't die._

-o0o-

"Hey Miss – are you alright?"

The Take-over woman managed to crawl out the crater in the wall, breathing heavily as blood dripped from many scars and gashes around her body. She glared at the boy, disbelief replacing her anger. "W-why…child…why not run?"

The dragon slayer grinned, stepping in front of her, facing the dark guild. "I'm not done yet. Now that there's nothing in my way, I won't leave until I beat those bastards into pulp."

"No – kid, you don't know who you're up against – "

"_**Fire Dragon's Iron Fists!"**_

Slamming his balled up fists together, his fists were engulfed in flames. The dark guild drew back in surprise, as the boy ran head on towards their master. He leapt upwards, preparing to land a direct hit. "I'll kill you – "

With a flick of his left hand, the young dragon slayer's flamed fist was stopped in mid-air, as he was sent crashing into the burning brick oven at the back of the bakery. The flames of the brick oven collided with the intense pressure of the boy's own flame, causing an explosion. The guild cheered as they imagined the boy being cremated alive, engulfed and burned to a crisp by the flames. However, they laughed too soon.

The flames were being sucked into a vortex, entering the young boy's mouth. The guild gasped, bewildered that the boy, was in fact, swallowing flames. The boy let out a breath of relief, whipping the side of his mouth as if he had just enjoyed a large meal. Turning to the woman, he said, "Thanks for the meal – now I'm all fired up!"

Miranda slithered towards him. "Wait – let me help."

The flame user stared at her, incredulously, before asking, "Did that girl really steal?"

The serpent woman shook her head abashed, her expression downcast.

The boy, in return, smiled at her. "Good, that's all I wanted to know. I'm glad you did the right thing. Alright – let's finish this."

The scaled woman shot forward, her snaked hair dispersing into individual snakes, shooting into the members' clothes. The boy stifled a laugh at the scene of men, twisting painfully on the floor, trying to catch an uncatchable enemy. Remembering his true objective, the dragon slayer turned his attention to the master and her daughter, who was trying to give him an opportunity to attack as she tried fending off the gravity spells. Jumping on top of the furnace, he puffed up his cheeks, allowing a plentiful amount of air fill his lungs. _I'm sure I mastered this spell really well, even if I didn't practice it since Igneel left, it should go straight…I hope…_

"_**Fire Dragon's Roar!"**_

With a burst of flames, a huge, explosive fire ball emitted from his mouth, heading straight towards the cloaked figure. However, its path veered to the left, greatly missing its target. The dragon slayer collapsed, his knees hitting the ground heavily. All his reserved magic had been for nothing. The wall on the left had a large, visibly burnt hole, where the fireball had shot through. Now he understood why his attack veered to the left; he no longer had a right eye, so he had to centralize his attack with only his left eye. Groaning in distress, he slammed his fist down. The woman gritted her teeth, disappointed, but she knew that she would never be strong enough to defeat her father. As she was slammed into the ground with such force by the gravity manipulator, her vertebrae snapped. Shrinking back into her original form, she felt her conscious gradually leave her. The last thing she saw was Silas grabbing his club and landing a hit on the boy's blind side.

"Boy…to…your….right…"

It was too late. The auburn-haired woman's final words still couldn't suffice enough time for the dragon slayer to react, as the spiked club pounded against the back side of his head, sending him crashing through the high window. He felt his body slam against the building of the alleyway outside, as his body fell and landed on the cobblestone streets. His head throbbed, but his heart ached more. _She –she died. J-just because I didn't land my attack right. She tried protecting me, warning me, and helping me…but…she died._

He thought he would cry, or at least whimper. But for some reason, all he felt was the chill on the streets. The pain throughout his body was numbing, and he knew he was in grave danger. Yet – he didn't move. He knew he should've tried to use that chance and finally get the hell out of there or else he would've died from leaking too much blood. Yet – he didn't claw the floor and even bother to get onto his feet. He just stared. He stared with his only eye at the sky, at the clouds that floated by and the birds circling above the building. At that moment, he didn't want to do anything, aside from gaping upwards and relax. He was suddenly tired of it all. Tired of being Igneel's son, tired trying to find him, tired being a hero and saving that girl he never even knew of, tired of being beaten up and laughed at. He was tired of everything. And at that moment, he was sick of the world he was in. He closed his eye, waiting to…die.

"Are you sure you are willing to leave this world without a struggle?"

There was a voice. It was a dark, deep voice that echoed beside him. He would've flinched from the voice if he wasn't in such a feeble condition, his head endlessly throbbed and his blood pounded. He thought he was probably imagining that voice, as a sign that his soul was in the process of leaving his body, so he decided to ignore it.

"I know that expression of yours too well. You feel desperation, when someone of your abilities has failed to accomplish something that is so close, at the ends of your fingertips. That power you wished to seek has failed you – that power which you loved and adored your entire life. And that ambition you wished to complete, when the world – when everything has turned their back on you. When nobody could understand the truth of humanity and where the truth in the world lies, your soul feels neglected, and you are forced to swallow your pride and walk down a road alone and confused, driven without any hope or light. A dead-end that will only wind up in front of Death's grave."

The dragon slayer listened to the speech in silence, but understanding. For the first time in a long while, he finally found someone who he understands. He finally found someone that could guide him – and bring him to the light. As if the man's words filled his soul with a yearning to continue to live, the boy forced his aching head to the side, until his left eye could see the owner of that voice.

The man of that voice was, to the boy's surprise, the blurred, bloodied image he saw earlier. He was confused, unsure why his memory seemed altered or changed. But he knew one thing for sure. The man in strange, tattered armor was someone who had unworldly powers and abilities. Something about him was strange and foreign to the young dragon slayer. It was as if someone of equal power to God himself had taken pity on him, yet he himself was also heavily wounded in battle. The boy noticed that the long, spiky haired man's arms have been amputated, leaving the wounds wide open and uncared for. The strong, rusty, bloody odor from earlier returned to the boy's nose, making bile rise to the back of his throat, threatening to spill out. He inwardly scolded him for believing that a rotting, limbless corpse could actually help him. Sighing, he guessed that they were all bound to die together in that alley-way.

"Child – if living is your desire…there is something I could offer," the man spoke slowly, his bloodstained face giving away nothing to the boy.

The child felt like laughing. Here he was – in the middle of nowhere, lying helplessly while listening to another soon-to-be dead person lecture him about living. He snorted, "You know – you really do talk mighty for a guy who is going to die…"

In return, the man darkly chuckled. The boy couldn't see the man's eyes, which are hidden by the dark shadows and long bangs, but he knew that they must've sparkled, amused by his reply. "Child – there something there in your eyes – or eye, should I say, and your expression, reflecting on your inner emotions. At this moment, the emotion that flickers in your eye, in your very _soul_, is no other that vengeance."

The pink-haired boy frowned. "I don't understand what you mean…"

"I know someone who dies for vengeance, and you – child, is one of those few. Do not believe that vengeance is a sinister feeling to have. The emotions that force you to seek for revenge could drive you towards incredible power – power that you never knew you could possess. People of my clan are known to possess these unrivaled powers, when we realized that only these emotions are what drive us towards the ultimate victory on a battlefield," the man explained, a trickle of blood dripped down from the corner of his mouth to his chin, followed by a fit of hoarse coughs.

The boy groaned trying to stand up, but his knees buckled, forcing him to collapse onto his side once again. He felt exhausted, as he peered up at the window, knowing that he couldn't probably manage to haul himself back up the building, much less fight in his condition. The man managed a hoarse chuckle, his life nearing its end.

"Child…you are trying to get revenge on these people who tried to kill you, to hurt you, aren't you?"

The young boy got back up on one knee trying to settle his balance, hoping to ignore the strange man behind him. The man continued.

"I know you want to fight, to die on that battlefield even if your efforts are futile. You know they won't bother to come after you, yet you refuse to tuck in your tail and shamefully run."

The dragon slayer's one eye widened, confused but amazed at how easily the man saw through him, analyzing his every thought. Turning towards the man, he asked, "Who on Earthland are you?!"

"I am Madara Uchiha – and I have been forced into this world by a jutsu. I have no knowledge of this world whatsoever, but I suppose being unknowingly transported into this world has temporarily prolonged my life from – _them_," Madara spat, a grim, crooked smile replaced his neutral expression.

The dragon slayer nodded incredulously. "I find it hard to believe you, Madara, but…I still don't understand what you're trying to do – you are about to die…right?"

Madara frowned. "I see something in you that I wish to develop; a potential in you that could lead to become a superior, unparalleled shinobi – or what you call a 'mage' in this world. With the proper guidance, who knows when you will reach your limit? The possibilities would be endless."

The pink-haired child knelt down. "But where are you getting at, Madara? Where do I find this proper guidance in order to use this power?"

The raven-haired man, for the first time, raised his strained neck, until he was looking directly into the dragon slayer's only onyx orb. The boy gasped, marveling at the two most peculiars eyes he has ever seen. The crimson red eye had such a unique, complex pattern over the pupil, while the pale, ringed eye was plain but unusual in its own way.

"Those eyes of mine, the Sharingan and Rinnegan, are ocular powers that date back to the first creation of my world. Warriors of my world are called shinobis, and our groups of clans formed together, creating the first villages…I'm afraid I don't have the time right now to describe the entire history of the elemental world…" Madara's voice diminished to a hoarse whisper, before coughing uncontrollably, blood dripping down his chin again.

The boy frowned, but he understood the man was nearing his end. "So…I guess you are willing to give me those powerful eyes of yours?"

Madara half-grinned, chuckling at the child's naivety. "Of course everything comes with a price, child. Even though I had died once already, I prolonged my life in order to reach my goal. I left the world after I was sure that 'someone' will be completing this goal. However, my soul was soon returned to the battlefield, now in flesh, and I have decided to end the war myself, finishing my ambition. But life was unfortunate, and now that I've been sent to this strange world, I have decided to die. When I laid my eyes on you, though, I managed to conceal myself using genjutsu the moment you saw my Sharingan. But now that I've seen your resolve, I have decided to continue my goal in this world, bringing moral peace to this world, achieving it only with the ability of the Sharingan. In other words, I am willing to lend you my power, in exchange for…"

The dragon slayer backed away, suddenly aware of the possible dangers that lay in front of him. "F-for what?"

"For…a vessel for my soul to inhabit."

The young boy stared at the bloodied, dying man in front of him, horrified at his explanation. He felt the life drained from his face, his heart thudded, and then stopped for a moment. "Y-You…you want my body? Wait – so…you want me to DIE in order to take over my body as your body?!"

Frightened, the boy slowly got up to his feet. The shinobi shook his head. "Using my Rinnegan, I could reverse the technique of the _**Kyūkon no Jutsu**_, allowing my soul to enter another's body, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I will dominate your body. As long as your resolve and conscious remains dominant, then the original soul of the body would still be the one in control. In other words, you could imagine your situation as possessing two souls while you are conscious."

The boy merely nodded, seemingly acceptant, while Madara inwardly smirked. _That's why taking advantage of a child's naivety is so simple yet efficient. As long as he abides to my plan, then I will continue to support and teach him to become the utterly undefeatable individual his world has yet to see. That is, unless he disobeys my plans…_

The boy appeared doubtful, untrusting the man he was dealing with. But he thought that if he stayed weak forever, he would soon die before he could save anyone, or even find his father. Nodding, he said, "Alright. I agree to your deal, in exchange for your power."

Madara stared at him, grinning as a dangerous glint appeared in his two, diverse orbs. "Since we will become closer than mere acquaintances, I believe I should know your given name."

"I'm Natsu…Natsu Dragneel!"

"Natsu Dragneel…what a peculiar name," the limb-torn, raven-haired man muttered his last words, as the pink-haired boy peered into his blood-red Sharingan. "When you awake, you will experiment reincarnation."

Madara's Sharingan suddenly widened, as he placed a manipulative genjutsu over the boy. Unable to handle the increase of pressure, his young and bruised boy to crumple to the floor, his conscious shifting into nothing more than blurred darkness.

-o0o-

_**Child, wake up.**_

Natsu opened his eyes. Or to be precise, his eyes opened themselves, forcing him awake. _M-Madara-san? What happened?_

It took the dragon slayer a moment to recall all that had happened to him, from hoping to sneak some fire to meeting a bloodied and rotting armored man on the streets. He felt his blood run cold when he realized that Madara's voice was echoing in his mind. The boy tried to open his mouth, but his mouth was clamped shut. Neither could he control any of his movement like how he thought he could the moment he was born. Then through his two eyes, he saw –

_Wait – I could see with both eyes again!_

He felt happiness arise in his chest, but that positive emotion vanished as quickly as it came. He seemed to be viewing everything displayed in front of him as an audience watching a film. He realized he truly had no control whatsoever over any of his actions, which could only mean…

_Madara, you bastard! You lied to me! I should've know what you wanted the moment – _

Madara scoffed. _**I numbed your sense of pain using genjutsu, before forcing you to unconsciously rip out your imploded eye. Afterwards, I used up the rest of my chakra to force my soul into your body. Finally, I was able to use your fingers and carefully pry out the Sharingan from my dead body, filling your right socket. You should be grateful I decided not to cause you more pain.**_

_Wait – the Sharingan is that powerful?! _

_**What do you expect when you have an eye created by Kami himself? Once you explore the depths of the Sharingan, you will in reach unlimited heights with it. Since I am in control of your body at this moment, I suppose you couldn't feel the wonders. It sure feels strange being in a child's body…**_

_Hey – do you mind letting me take control of my body instead?_

Natsu felt unaccustomed to hearing himself chuckle so dark and deeply. Using his body, Madara murmured, "Not yet, boy. I need to establish your chakra line. At this moment, I couldn't even summon the chakra to form medical ninjutsu to heal your wounds."

_Ninjutsu? What's that._

_**Ninjutsu is one of the three main categories of ninja techniques. Basically, it is transferring chakra into real techniques that have physical effects on the enemy. Perhaps in battle, I'll have the ability to channel chakra after I perform the necessary hand seals.**_

_I'm lost…_

'Natsu' sighed, as he took one more glance at his abandoned body. "The moment this is over, we will begin our training and I will go into further detail in order to pass down my knowledge. However, now is not the time to do so. I should transplant my other eye into your left eye first."

_Wait! Not yet, Madara…_

For Natsu, he didn't want to dig out an eye that works normally in exchange for an eye of a body that no longer functions. The thought of gaining greater powers and climbing new heights were appealing, but if one eye was able to force the guild into the ground, then he didn't see the point of immediately transplanting the other eye. Yet.

Madara chuckled. _**I see…you're edging to defeat those flies first. I understand. It probably would've been an insult to the Rinnegan to be used on those people anyways. **_

Natsu felt his eyes shifting upwards, looking up at open window, where voices were still bickering noisily. He was glad that Madara finally decided to attack them, and the very thought of watching his new abilities in action excited him once again.

"I can't believe you are so poorly prepared, Natsu," 'Natsu' said, walking towards the life-less body in a clump of armor. Reaching forward, he jerked off the large gunbai strapped to the figure's back, weighing it in his thinner, child hands. Then digging under the waist of the armor, he brought out a weaponry pouch, strapping it onto his waist. "A few kunais and three shurikens should work for the time being. The moment we defeat those flies, we will also have to grab you some clothing and armor. Don't ever think about going into battle without proper clothing."

_I get it, okay? Just teach me some of your skills and I'll beat those – _

_**No Natsu. I'll be fighting. I want you to carefully watch and learn. **_

_But – _

_**The best warrior observes before entering a battle. **_

"Let's go."

-o0o-

The guild was taking all the items – food, furniture, and all from the bakery. They were of no use now that the owner had died, not pitied by any of her guild members. The woman lay at the corner, tattered and hideously bruised, long gashes and streaks of blood running across her body, while her face was twisted with pain.

"I think we should at least cremate the princess, my lord," Silas said, uneasily.

The master shook his head, disgust written across his aged face. "No. Let the rats savor on that useless carcass. A traitor will always remain a traitor, abandoned by all."

"But an incomprehensible leader will only lead the future in vain."

All eyes turned towards the new voice of a figure leaning against the window. They realized that it was the boy who was sent crashing out the window, which caused them to laugh.

"I can't believe that you little wimp came back!" The tanned man with the afro laughed along with his other guild members. "I never knew that a little piece of shi – "

The man never got to finish his sentence. He gasped as a piercing pain tore open his back, a blade-like metal embedded into the back of his flesh. The master's eyes widened in shock at the boy's sudden increase in ability. He tore through the group in the blink of an eye, before throwing out string wired kunais at two members, wounding them on the back. Then without a pause, he skillfully expanded the wire length, spreading before immediately tightening them, trapping the rest of the members in the thick, cutting wires. The master marveled at the child smooth reflexes, incredibly fast speed and skillfulness of his hands, handling such a large group of people so efficiently, while also creating considerable amount of damage, bleeding the members thoroughly. _Something about him isn't the same as the boy I met earlier ago…something definitely changed. Was he hiding his potential…or?_

The boy smirked at the sight of the master's surprise, a strange glint flashed in his onyx eye. "I believe they are a waste of my efforts, since they are all so weak and feeble. I was expecting more of a challenge, really. I suppose there is no need to even counter with ninjutsu. I might as well deal with you first. The faster I take your head, the better."

"How dare you talk about the great Blinded Cyclops in such a manner. Pieces of filth like you should just learn your place!" Silas roared, blocking the dragon slayer from the master. _**"Iron-make: axe!"**_

A large axe appeared in the bald man's large hands. The boy regarded the weapon, anxious and excited to finally fight someone more challenging. _**I could finally use my ninjutsu on someone. Natsu, what element do you use?**_

_What do you mean by 'element'?_

As Silas's first swing of his axe, 'Natsu' began to perform a series of taijutsus, kicking and jabbing at lethal areas of the bulky man's body. Even with his skills, Madara found himself panting in the child's body, his stamina and strength not keeping up with his expectations of the adult body he was so accustomed to.

_**Natsu, were you the one who performed the Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu earlier ago?**_

_Eh – do you mean the Fire Dragon's Roar? _

_**So fire is your element?**_

_I guess…if that's what – _

'Natsu' was nearly sliced open by the tip of the axe, manageably dodging it in time. Madara internally scolded himself for being distracted so easily by communicating with Natsu. The next blow came from the right, his supposedly blind spot. Quickly, Madara opened his eye, revealing his Sharingan.

His bulky opponent stared at 'Natsu' beyond belief, confused that his torn eye reopened, revealing a completely different eye. Madara smirked, seeing a brief, but direct opening when the man stopped his axe and marveled in wonder. Immediately, Madara's Sharingan read the streams of magic evident in his oponent's body, before grabbing a kunai and striking a hit below his chest. Gasping, the man fell to one knee.

"I see why hitting your chakra points haven't afflicted any damage. It appears that people of your world utilize a much different source of energy, with much different energy streams. However, the Sharingan sees all," 'Natsu' muttered darkly, before kicking Silas across his face and slamming his heel down forcefully across his bald head.

The master observed, shocked to see the innocent, brave child from earlier ago become some sort of demon, possessing such abilities and seemingly _enjoy_ torturing others, as he grinded his heal deeper into the man's head, causing the bold man to roar in pain and fury. The pink-haired boy wore a wicked grin, before murmuring, "Good, I'm glad you still have the resolve to fight. However, I'm afraid I am bored toying with you."

Grabbing the kunai that was still embedded below the man's chest, 'Natsu' gripped the hilt and forced the weapon upwards, tearing across the man's heart, his blood splayed across the floor. Silas's eyes bulged out, surprised of the child's subtle, killing will. The once bulky, strong man was just like that, degraded into a pitiful state, reaching his end.

_M-Madara…I think you overdid it. _Natsu hated the man – in fact everyone in the guild, but watching his own hands performed such a ruthless act made him feel nauseous.

_**Child, you know nothing of this world. At times, if you don't prove your superiority in front of your enemies, they will never obey.**_

The master knew that this boy was definitely not the boy from earlier ago. But regardless of his skills, he knew that his opponent was nothing but a mere child who has never experienced battles as much as he has. Confident, he raised two fingers, pointing at the child.

_Madara! Careful, he could control gravity._

_**Could it be that…this man possesses the Magnet Release kekkei genkai?!**_

Aware of the sudden peril, Madara quickly formed hand seals. The master lowered his fingers, interested to see what the child was doing.

_**Hopefully this will work, since your body will probably be more accustomed to fire attacks. It's always wise to try a weak jutsu in front of an enemy first, so your chakra won't be wasted if the jutsu backfires. Your chakra stream is yet to open, but hand seals should compress the little chakra you have into at least one fire jutsu.**_

Even though Natsu was curious what this 'jutsu' is, he is determined that he's the only one who gets to beat that old man to a pulp. _C'mon Madara! Let me handle this guy – I still need to pay him back for what he did to the girl from earlier – _

_**Well-spoken from someone who missed aim.**_

_Shut up! You have no idea how hard it is to aim when you suddenly have only one eye! Now that I have two eyes, I gotta kick his ass this time – _

_**Horse – tiger – ram – monkey – boar – horse – tiger…**_

Ignoring Natsu's complaint and bloating his lungs and windpipe, Madara forced the unopened chakra streams to open, molding the chakra into a small, dense, fiery orb before aiming it directing at the master.

"_**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**_

Natsu watched, annoyed but excited to see a master at wielding fire jutsus that were never heard of in his world. He could feel the intense pressure build up, and then with a thunderous breath, he saw himself release the ignited orb of flames.

However, the jutsu depleted the moment it was released.

Natsu and the master watched in shock as the ball of flames collapsed into a faint, red streak and dispersed like the morning mist. 'Natsu' fell to the floor, panting and exhausted of the sudden use of chakra. Madara felt light-headed and dizzy, his entire chakra in his newfound body sapped out of him so quickly. The master laughed at the pitiful state of the boy in front of him, shuddering and collapsing again and again while trying to regain conscious.

_Wow…that was quite a show, Madara-san. I have a feeling you could make him laugh to death if you throw another one of your "jutsus" – _

_**Be quiet! You should blame yourself for have such a weak body. This simple technique was one I easily mastered when I was much younger than you are now!**_

_See…I told you I should be the one attacking. After all…this was __**my **__body. Maybe you should watch how __**I**__ do things __**my**__ way first._

Madara scowled, irritated with the child's aloofness. He couldn't believe that he, the mighty shinobi that brought the world to its knees, was now in a child's body, struggling to even perform the basic jutsus that a genin could even learn. He hated that he had to swallow his pride, knowing that despite the child's cockiness, he was probably correct this time.

"Don't get so confident that I'm giving in so easily," 'Natsu' said to both the Natsu inside and to the master, who seemed amused at his resolve. "After all…I still have a trump card."

Deciding that he was probably overestimating the boy, the elderly master decided to end the fight. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "Now that I know you are nothing but talk, there's no point in wasting all my time with a mere child. I still have a guild to watch over."

Glaring at the boy, he jutted his left hand forward, forcing the dragon slayer against the back wall, gravity rendering the boy helpless. Natsu was glad that Madara strapped the gunbai to his back earlier ago, or else his head would've created a crater in the steel wall.

_Damn…I can't…move my body! Wait no…you're the one who could move my body! Do something!_

_**Relax child. I wouldn't live up to my name if I couldn't handle these flies. It's time I show you one of the greatest wonders of the Mangekyou.**_

"It was a pleasure watching you suffer, child. I wish you a pleasant journey to hell, where you will be rightfully judged!" the cloaked master hollered, flicking upwards his ring finger. Natsu and Madara watched as the huge, iron axe beside the dead, iron-make wizard rose into mid-air, its subtle curved blade pointing horizontally to them.

_Crap, Madara! If we don't move, the axe will take my head!_

_**Natsu, didn't I tell you to leave this matter to me? Besides, your head is also now my head. And my head is something I cannot afford to lose.**_

_That sure is reassuring to hear from someone who blasted his fireball…_

If Madara had the time to roll his eyes, he would've rolled his eyes at Natsu's remarks of despair. How the dragon slayer underestimated the majestic power of the Sharingan irked him to no end. He was doubtful when attacking with the _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_, but the large amount of chakra stored in the Sharingan will work whether the user has a sufficient amount of chakra in his body or not.

_**It's time I show you the inextinguishable flames of hell, something that he would never be able to dodge.**_

With a flick of his twisted old figer, the master hissed, "Perish!"

Natsu watched as the view from his right eye disappeared, before feeling intense pain and blood squirm out of the corner of his eye. It was only at the moment before Madara released the sudden focus of energy when Natsu finally understood that Madara was holding back his true potential.

"_**Amaterasu!"**_

Natsu watched in awe as black flames erupted from the arm of the cloaked man, devouring him completely in merely one second. As he shrieked in agony, his hold on gravity wavered, immediately releasing Natsu's body. 'Natsu' widened his eyes in relief when he glanced upwards; the axe was where his neck was a moment ago. When he looked back at the master, he saw that the master was futilely trying to rid of the demonic flames, slowly but endlessly chewing away at his flesh, gradually reducing his body to ashes.

_**What a fool. The Amaterasu is one of the highest achievable ninjutsu that cannot be put out for longer than seven days and nights, burning and eating anything in its path. It certainly is a true creation of god.**_

Before Natsu could admire the power that Madara has given him, pain tore through his right eye, blood blinded his vision. 'Natsu' immediately pressed a hand to that eye, forcing it to close.

_Fine Madara. Maybe I underestimated you a bit – _

Madara chuckled, amused at Natsu's reluctance. _**I don't think "a bit" correctly describes your mockery, Natsu.**_

_Fine I underestimated you a lot, satisfied?!_

'Natsu' sighed, taking one last look at the man, who was now reduced to ashes, the fire slowly spreading across the hard wood floor. "We should probably leave this building immediately. My failed jutsu caused the surrounding atmosphere to rise to the perfect density for any sparks of fire to ignite into an explosion. And the last thing we need is to be caged in a town swallowed by Amaterasu."

Without arguing, Natsu watched as he leapt out the high window. The wired men cried and begged to be released, but they could only watch as their master's murderer turned his back on them, walking mercilessly away.

Landing gently on the smoothly paved cobble stones, Madara noticed that his abandoned body still lay there. A barely visible smiled crossed his lips at the thought of adding the Rinnegan to his young body, creating the perfect being with both ocular powers.

Kneeling in front of the dead body, Madara forced the dragon slayer's fingers forward, reaching for the object below the closed eyelids. Natsu was incredulous when the Sharingan was transplanted into him, but after watching the true potential of Amaterasu, he was more than eager to discover the abilities of the Rinnegan.

"Someone get some help! The building is on fire!"

Madara froze when he heard that the black flames are already spreading rapidly. Glancing behind him, he cursed under his breath. Black flames completely enveloped the building, which was barely holding together. From behind, he could hear the cackling flames travelling towards him. Taking one last regretful look at the treasure that was under his fingertips, he turned away and sped down the dark alleyway.

_Madara-san…why didn't you just rip out the Rinnegan?_

_**You don't know the Amaterasu like I do, child. There are times in life when you have to abandon something important to you in order to keep the greater good. I couldn't guarantee that we would've made it out alive if we stayed a moment longer. Never underestimate the flames of the Amaterasu.**_

Despite his disappointment, Natsu realized that Madara was right. The black flames were already biting at their heals, edging forward at an incredible speed. Natsu noticed how calm and contained Madara was, running non-stop past the many building. Realizing that his stamina was reaching its end, 'Natsu' quickly formed the ram seal.

"_**Shunshin no Jutsu!"**_

In a puff of smoke, the pink-haired dragon slayer disappeared from the wretched town, leaving the town to burn until its very existence will be forgotten.

-o0o-

**-A few days later-**

A man in a white, high-collared overcoat perched on a cliff, studying the acres of black flames that flared lively below him. The man frowned, surprised that the town where he grew up in was truly reduced to nothing, almost every being there was killed.

_So the rumors are true. Thousands of people died in one attack…unbelievable. Even my old man failed to defeat that one wizard. He must be strong; he must be an A-rank…or perhaps an S-class?_

The tall, muscular man shook his head in wonder. _Even though my old man was foolish, he was still a gravity manipulator, one who could dispel any magic thrown at him. But those flames…_

Allowing his mind to wander, he suddenly remembered the only person he cared about: his sister. Sighing, he knew that she must've also died in the flames. _Miranda…if only you left with me that night…things would've been different for us._

Summoning his own magic, the man decided to see for himself the true power of the flames.

"_**Fall!"**_

He forced an intense increase of gravity across the acres of burnt land, cracks formed and the earth's plate itself shifted, sending the black flames directly down into the ground. Satisfied at his work, he watched the flames diminish until there was barely a trace of its presence.

"It appears that the infamous flames from hell were nothing but an exaggerated rumor. It is only right that my old man's gravity magic will be inferior to mine. After all, we are now on a whole different level – "

From the corner of his eye, the man saw a streak of black flames burst back onto the surface. Taking a step back, the man realized that the black flames not only refused to decrease, but it has in fact, become stronger, bursting out of the cracks and roaring aggressively against the drop of gravity.

_I don't understand! This is the first time a spell has proven __**Fall**__ to be inferior. B-But how? How is this possible?! _

Gritting his teeth, the tall man turned away from the scene. It was a long time since he felt his abilities threatened by another magic. "Someday, I will definitely defeat you, whoever you are. Even if you try to hide, there is nowhere for you to hide with a power like that."

_But to defeat him, I must seek a power so great…the flames he cast will cower in defeat. _

* * *

**A/N: Finally done this chapter! It took me so long, especially with summer school going on. I hope you liked this chapter. Anyways, thanks for all who reviewed, favourited, and followed! I loved all the reviews! In the next chapter, there will be a MAJOR time skip. And I'm sorry if this chapter was too long or dragging for some of your tastes, but I tend to focus on a major arc or story plot with longer chapters, so yeah.**

**Now to answer some of your reviews…**

**CelestialxXxAngel: Natsu will be influenced greatly by Madara, since he is stuck with him 24/7, but that doesn't mean that he's "evil" throughout the story. Besides, there's also Kagura, right? **

**Uranos: I had Natsu have one Sharingan for a reason. I planned for something to happen in the following chapters, so I purposely have Natsu with only one Sharingan for now. And I'm keeping Natsu's hair pink, since I'm sure having a transplanted Sharingan doesn't always mean that his hair has to change color (even though I know how much cooler he certainly will look).**

**Sefrys: I actually have planned for Natsu to join Fairy Tail (after Lucy joins, though). He will join because of a totally different reason than the Natsu in canon. **

**And I'm leaving for a weak and I really have to work on my other crossfic for a while, so there won't be any updates soon. Anyways…PLEASE REVIEW because reviews really get me motivated to write! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

**-Hargeon Town-**

**(July 2, X784)**

_Wh-Why is my heart beating so fast?! What's gotten into me?!_

In the wealthy and prosperous Hargeon Town, there was a crowd of young girls surrounding a mage. A young, busty blond girl in a sleeveless, high-collared white and blue vest with a blue mini skirt was no exception. However, unbeknownst to the girls, they were caught in the wizard's "Charm."

"Ah – you're too kind," the dark-haired mage who wore ornate clothing and decorations along with a high collared cape, responded modestly to one of the bewitched girls.

Turning, his head towards the blond celestial mage, he grinned.

_He looked at me!_

The blond mage could bare it no longer, as her rapidly beating heart almost leapt out of her throat. She felt her breaths come in anticipating, short gasps, while her head throbbed painfully, and her cheeks flared a deep, crimson red. Quickly, she rested a hand to her chest, trying to calm her rapidly speeding heart while worrying that her large bosoms was close to breaking free of her tightly encased vest. She felt that her life ended right there – that the man of her dreams had finally noticed her. At that moment, it seemed that nothing else mattered. All she ever wanted…was _him_.

_Is it because he's a famous wizard? Is that why my heart is throbbing?_

Breaking free of her self-conscious, the "Charm" took over the female mage's mind, urging her forward. Her mind kept telling her that something was definitely not right here, but her heart and body said otherwise.

_Could it be…? Am I in…?_

"You there! You are under arrest!"

The spell immediately broke through the celestial mage's chestnut brown eyes like fragile glass. The blond stared in confusion and bewilderment at the sudden intrusion. The crowd of bickering girls was also shocked as the spell was unknowingly broken, their high pitched shrills of compliments vanished so suddenly, they also were confused at what happened and they searched for the voice, frantically wondering what was about to happen. From behind them, they heard incoming footsteps march towards them at an even, well-paced rhythm. The crowd of girls realized that there was no doubt about it.

"R-Rune knights?!"

Turning around, the once infatuated crowd stared in worry, confusion, and fear at the rune knights, who stopped simultaneously in front of them. The division commander frowned and pushed up his glasses, before continuing with his demand.

"I would like Salamander-san to step forward."

Immediately, the girls willingly took a step to the side, exposing "Salamander" completely to the commander. The commander remained expressionless as her studied the dark-haired mage from head to toe, taking in his appearance. "Salamander" felt the pit of his stomach twist into an uneasy knot. He really didn't like the direction the encounter was heading towards. He knew that if they for some reason suspected that he was, in fact, the exiled member of Titan Nose, they will take him down without hesitation.

Deciding that his popularity and status were more than enough to convince the knights that they probably made some sort of mistake, he calmed himself and a dazzling smile was once again displayed on his face.

"So I assume you are 'Salamander'?" the young commander with green hair asked, his eyebrows knitting together in suspicion.

Smiling, the "Salamander replied. "Yes – the one and only."

A good ten seconds passed as the two stared at each other. Finally, the dark-haired mage smirked when he saw the commander gently shake his head and turn towards his men. _I was probably overreacting…with my title as "Salamander", nobody – not even the army – dares to approach someone holding such a great title. _

"Arrest him."

The mage's triumphant smirk faltered as many rune knights grabbed him sturdily and held him down on his stomach. The surrounding girls began to scream and many fled far away from the scene as possible, not wanting to also be caught and taken in if they are labeled as the wizard's associates. The blond-haired girl with the side ponytail stared in shock at why the commander has ordered the well-known and prominent mage, Salamander, to be taken care of like a criminal.

The mage wanted to resist and summon his abilities. However, he knew that doing so would only confirm their suspicions of him, whatever it was. Deciding that smooth-talking was his best shot, he genuinely asked, "Please commander…would you care to explain for your actions?"

"I was hoping to ask you the same question, actually. But we'll have plenty of time once we start the interrogation."

_Interrogation? What is this guy saying?! _The mage pondered on that thought for a moment. No matter how much he weighed the possibilities, something just didn't seem right. _If Titan Nose did something recently that had upset the Magic Council, they wouldn't hunt down an exiled member, right? What good would that do them anyways? To have so many rune knights after me must've meant that they regard me as more than an ordinary criminal. Unless…they are after me because they figured out that I'm an imposter of Salamander…_

"Take him in," the commander said, his back to the man subdued on the ground. "I don't expect him to spill out anything that will dirty his image in front of an audience anyways. Take him to the headquarters."

As the knights hurled the mage to his feet and shoved him forward, the man shouted in desperation, realizing the true danger of his situation. "What are you all talking about?! This isn't right! As the great mage Salamander, I had done nothing wrong. A-As commander, you should know my great deeds I had done through the years miraculous. Therefore, taking me into prison is a stain to both your status and my–"

The commander scowled and walked back to the guards-held mage, before bending down, his face shadowing the mage's, a mixture of anger and disgust marked in his eyes. "Salamander" gulped as the commander closed their proximity, glaring at him before lowering his voice, only making it audible for him to hear.

"Then explain why you burned that town to rubble, killing hundreds of people."

The mage's dark eyes contracted and his jaws hung open. He felt disbelief sink in as he took a moment to digest that Fiore's famed savior is now a wanted criminal because of a major massacre. His stomach began to twist and tighten anxiously as reality hit him. The realization of why he was about to be arrested.

"I-Impossible," he murmured, his arms began to quiver as he tried supporting himself. "S-Salamander would never do something like that! I mean, I never heard of such a thing. I mean, there is no way I could've done that! As Salamander, I was obliged to serve Fiore and perform works of justice. How could someone as noble as I do such a thing?! You know commander that there is no way that I would do that!"

The commander's right hand shot forward, grabbing the criminal's throat. He felt the mage choke beneath his grasp, but he ignored the criminal's reaction.

"A few survivors, however, were able to describe the murderer's appearance and abilities. Dark hair, fire wizard, high combat skills, and a surprising ability to fly. Face it, Salamander-san. There is no one with such a precise match with those given information. And some a few other witnesses saw you make your way towards the direction of this town, wounded, but fleeing. It was only after talking to the suspects and matching evidence at different scenes, we were able to determine that we must take you down before this situation get out of hand."

There was another pause as the mage took some time to digest more of the information. _T-This is bizarre! I was framed! Yes – I was framed purposely! That had to be it!_

"Now hurry. Bring him in."

The armed knights nodded before proceeding with taking the prisoner to their headquarters. However, the mage suddenly snapped and wrestled his arms free, only to be caught by a bulky knight at the back as handcuffs bounded his wrists.

Panicked, he shouted, "Wait! You got the wrong person! B-Because I-I'm…I'm not the real Salamander!"

The commander stopped and glared sideways at the prisoner. "Salamander" knew that he had handed over his dream life of popularity, wealth, and ladies the moment that last sentence escaped from his mouth. But he decided that he'd rather be looked down upon in shame than be sentenced to prison, or worse, death.

The commander only turned away with disinterest, believing that the captured man was only trying to talk his way out from being caught while trying to earn some pity from the commander. After all, all criminals are like that. "Whether you are telling the truth or lying, we'll have to take you in for questioning. After that, a thorough inspection will also be done. If you wish to be deemed innocent, I advise you to come with us in peace and work with us."

The young, blonde woman watched the entire scenario reach it conclusion from the corner of the street. She was beyond shocked to find the famed wizard, Salamander, be taken in by the Magic Council. Now to think back, she remembered that she did recall seeing an article about the burning of a town, only to have the mass murderer disappear without a trace. Who knew she would see that very criminal taken down in front of her eyes?

As she turned away from the scene, she could only hear the unpleasant complaints and hisses of outrage erupt from a certain man's mouth, disrupting the order of the town. Shaking her head, she turned a corner and decided to head towards her new goal: joining Fairy Tail.

Suddenly, she saw a shadow-like creature or person crouch on the edge of the balcony above her. Gasping, she instinctively shrunk behind the nearest corner. As her heart beat raced, she slammed her body against the wall for support. _W-What was that?! Was it some sort of monster?! Or – or some humanoid creature? G-Get a hold of yourself, Lucy. Something like that shouldn't scare you that much. How could you join Fairy Tail if your own imaginations scare the hell out of you? Yeah, that's it. It was my own imagination, it probably wasn't anything anyways. Just get some guts and take a look at that who-knows-what._

Edging her head forward, she glanced past her corner and stared at the balcony, only to find the thing or something gone. Sighing, she let out a nervous chuckle, the anxiety in her heart released. "It was my imagination. It's really time I join a guild. All this travelling could be quite nerve-racking, especially when you've come all this way only to fall for an old fart's charm. Just the thought of it makes my stomach sick. Ugh…Fairy Tail, I will join no matter what!"

With that, the busty blonde headed the other way. Unbeknownst to her, she was the only one who saw the real "Salamander". Surely, their paths will cross again another day.

-o0o-

"Hey Natsu. I think you scared her."

"It doesn't matter, Happy. I doubt she was even aware of my presence."

A lone figure walked solemnly down a path through the forest, his fury partner flying near him. The navy-haired figure sighed, before lying against the nearest cedar, inhaling its natural scent wistfully with ease. Bringing forward his two hands, he slammed his too hands into a _tora_ sign, releasing his jutsu as he was wrapped in smoke. As the smoke cleared, there was a pink-haired figure in a high collared, sleeve-less black shirt with matching dark pants and numerous bandages wrapped around his leg. As he lifted his hand to a nasty wound on his thigh, he grimaced as his hand and wound made contact, which was making it irresistibly hard for him to not scratch the blotched, reddened area of skin.

Summoning a faint, soft green glow of light to his fingertips, he began to mend the torn tissues at his thigh. As he felt his muscles begin to contract normally, the lean figure let out a relieved sigh. However, as he removed his hands from the injury, he flinched from the pain that reformed, causing his leg to collapse from the acidic pain still present in his leg.

_**You really are a fool, kid. How many times have I told you to give up – **_

"What is important for the greater good," Natsu sighed, exasperated. "I get it, Madara. I don't need to hear you nag about that all the time. Besides, I just got distracted – "

_**You are a mage with shinobi standards, Natsu. I know well that someone of your abilities wouldn't make such childish mistakes, yet you still act like an ignorant child. Being "distracted" is not a good enough excuse, Natsu. I know very well why you had to lose sight of that flute when it was in your very grasps.**_

An uncomfortable silence took over. The flying blue feline walked beside Natsu, worry marked in his large eyes. _This is one of the moments when Natsu is talking to himself again, _Happy thought, staring intently at Natsu's darkened expression. _It's strange…Natsu is talking to someone called Madara, but I still don't understand moments like these, even though I'm his best friend._

The pink-haired mage finally shrugged, his face changing drastically from serious to carefree, brushing off Madara's words as he focused his chakra to his fingertips, trying to master his weakest shinobi skill. "I told you it wasn't my fault. That bastard got lucky and his friends came along to retrieve that flute when I wasn't watching. It's not that – "

Natsu heard Madara scoff in annoyance at his denial. _**Yes, it is that you are still connected to that adoptive father of yours. You are still fond of him, despite the fact that he abandoned you for his own treacherous desires. Humans and dragons are not the same. You simply cannot compare a human to any beast, because we are created as higher beings to rule – **_

"I get it!" Natsu suddenly hollered, his fingers entangled in his thick strands of pink hair, pulling them out like a madman. "Can you just be quiet?! I'm sick of hearing you ramble on and on every day! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm no longer related to that traitor?! That dragon never taught me anything or made me stronger, and the so called 'love' he gave me was never there to begin with. I refuse to seek him ever in my life or beg him to take me back. I even abandoned the name my 'father' branded me with to Uchiha. Just what else do I have to prove to you?!"

_**Then why did you turn back?**_

There was another long pause. Natsu paused for a moment too long, knowing that Madara caught his mistake from their previous mission. Clenching his fists, he tried opening his mouth reply, only to slowly close it as realization dawned upon him.

_**Do you see now, child? When you were fighting that acid-magic user, your abilities far surpasses his in every way. You fought focused, cunning, analytic, and furthermore – with the desire to take one step closer to completely our goal to create peace for this world. Yet…you still underestimated your opponent as always. When that scarf of yours was pinned into the pit by his weapon, I knew that you glanced at your scarf and I knew that the thought of grabbing the scarf crossed your mind. This is your own failure, Natsu. You failed to focus on what was the main objective at hand and you created a direct opening for your enemy.**_

The pink-haired mage rolled his eyes, pouting, "I was toying with him because of his unique magic. At least I made sure I had him burned to death – "

_**But that does not change the fact that the flute was taken by his clan members – **_

"Madara, it's 'guild' members," Natsu sighed, "Guilds…not clans."

_**Anyways, it seems that you smelled that man's carcass. Which could only mean…**_

"He was burnt by the intensity of my fire," Natsu mused, subconsciously tossing a nearby pebble in his hand. "It was a fitting death for someone like him."

_**But he was killed by his own comrades.**_

The pebble in Natsu's hand rested there, as the mage pondered on that thought for a moment. "I see. They didn't want any information to be leaked in case he was ever interrogated…which meant that they abandoned their comrade as a decoy to fend me off, taking the flute with them. They must've known that I had extracted information from one of their members, using my Mangekyou Sharingan to force him to spit out the location where they hid the flute."

_**Yes – you are still lacking in experience. A sly warrior accomplishes only his tasks, and leaves the scene clean, while you toyed with your prey, allowed yourself to get hurt, and then preceded with blowing up an entire town, which well informed the entire world of your presence. In the end, you were forced to escape the scene, losing your fame and support while being marked as a wanted criminal. And now…we have no lead as to where we should search for the flute due to your juvenile acts.**_

Grunting with disinterest, Natsu replied, "Well luckily for us, there's an idiot who was carelessly using my fame. Before I went to that small town in the East, I heard a rumor from several love-struck ladies that they saw me near Magnolia Town. Even though it was just a rumor, I decided to rely on the rumor to throw my pursuers off my trail. I suppose my _Henge no Jutsu _resembled that fake quite well."

"Aye, sir!" Happy shouted cheerfully, floating gleefully on his wings. "I think your transformation looked much better than the weirdo."

_**I am certainly impressed with your quick thinking to escape and mislead the pursuers of the magic council, but that doesn't mean you are safe from society. We wouldn't want any more obstacles in our way to bring peace to this world, and that includes eliminating unnecessary emotions. Either as a mage, or as a shinobi, you must never lose your composure and reveal any weaknesses to your enemy.**_

Happy watched in worry as a dark smirk widened across his partner's face, as he released a dark chuckle from the bottom of his throat. "I thought I made it clear I had severed all my ties with that dragon, Madara. This 'failed' mission had taken away the remaining doubt I had about the life I once shared with him."

"But really…I was quite fond of that scarf. It matched my attire perfectly and it kept Happy and me warm in the winter, right partner?" Natsu grinned at his feline friend, releasing the tension around them.

"Aye, sir!"

_**But would you do the same for this cat?**_

_What are you trying to say, Madara? _Natsu thought, fearing that the conversation might upset his furry partner. _Happy isn't a cat…he's my friend._

_**You promised me that you would rid of any feelings you hold dear to you. And that would include anything you feel for that feline. I, in fact, find it utmost amusing that you would treat a mere feline with such an embrace of feelings and care, as if it is a human – **_

"SHUT UP!" Natsu growled intimidatingly, his scarred right eye flew open, revealing a crimson red iris, it's complexly-structured black pupil twisted menacingly, clearly reflecting dragonslayer's sudden burst of anger. Happy was suddenly taken aback, knowing that Natsu was angered by this 'Madara', yet he doesn't know how to help his partner except to fret with worry.

"N-Natsu…"

Hearing Happy's timid and frightened voice brought the pink-haired dragon slayer back to his senses, as his contracted blood-red eye forcefully closed and his other onyx eye smiled down at the feline. "I'm fine, Happy. I-I just kind of lost it again."

_**And yet, you still stand up for it. I don't know if I should praise you for your stubbornness or pity your useless feelings. Nothing good will result from being too close with an animal, or relying on your emotions. Dragons, cats, they are all the same. You can't even trust humans, your own kind. You can only rely on yourself.**_

_I get what you mean, Madara. I could even rehearse your speeches to you, since I hear them every day. It's torture to my ears._

_**Tsk. You don't know what is good for you, child –**_

_However, I can never agree with you on abandoning your emotions, Madara. Because…you are actually more to me than just a spirit from another world who ended up in my body and taught me just so I could continue his legacy. Even though you always seemed like you never did care for my well-being and all, but every time you scold me for my mistakes, teach me, and challenge me to unimaginable heights… well, I couldn't help but think of you as the father I once had. I know this is stupid, but…I think I rely on you more than I thought I ever would. I rely on you similarly like when a child relies to his parent. This isn't perhaps a horrible feeling to have, because…every time I tried achieving the impossible or fighting against an opponent, I would always rely on your voice, which is surprisingly, the source of power. At times, I rely on my emotions to do well and to prove to you my power, which is also why Happy is giving it his all, too. Happy fights his every breath for me, just as how I fight as if there is no tomorrow for you. Though we are different creatures, we may have a heart that connects. _

_**Hmm…you seem brighter than I thought you were. Indeed, those feelings are true and pure. However, you can never see what is in a man's heart. You never know what darkness you could hold, Natsu. And once you witness your own desires, the truth will conquer your morals, leaving no bounds for you to seek for your power. I had also seen the – **_

_But at the same time, you rely on me too, Madara._

_**And how is that so?**_

_Well…you really need someone to nag to._

…

_You talk awfully a lot for a cold-hearted shinobi. As much as I admitted to 'love' having you around, it's probably too early for me to admit that, since we're stuck together forever and neither of us could kill nor abandon each other even if we wish we could. _

"Natsu," Happy snapped the dragon slayer's mind back to the real world. "If we're going fishing, we should do it now before the sun goes down."

Natsu placed a hand on the tall cedar, rising to his feet while trying to shift his weight to his left leg. "Sure, Happy! I think my wound should be cleansed. Besides, I should rub off the blood on my clothes and armor. I would arouse suspicion if I enter another town with blood smeared across my body."

Limping forward painfully while trying to ignore the heavy strain in his right leg, the mage with a sole, onyx eye made his way deeper into the forest, down a trail towards the lake. Regardless of his intolerable pain, he still wore a convincing smile as he began a conversation with his feline partner, intently pouring his thoughts out to his only friend.

Madara observed everything from the dragon slayer's eyes. If he had a separate body, he would be frowning upon the scene. He realized that the dragon slayer was still young, despite his great influence on him. Madara knew that the dragon slayer still wished to live a peaceful life, with nothing to worry and no responsibilities that would burden his life. However, the long-lived shinobi knew that the path the dragon slayer had agreed to take upon his shoulders was one of deceit, hatred, and betrayal that would force him to shed numerous tears in isolation.

* * *

**So…how was it? I finally finished this chapter, which took me so long due to school and extracurricular exams. I hope it was worth the wait. Anyways, I decided to give Natsu some personality, not just a cool, cold-hearted killer that emotionlessly beats anyone who he comes in contact with. He will change over time, but…I'm keeping him like this for now. And I hope Natsu's hints on what happened at the town weren't too confusing, but I'm still layering out the plots. So please review and I'll hope to update faster! (Reviews are like energy drinks to me… :3)**

**Thanks to everyone who followed, favourited, and reviewed!**

**As to last chapter, lots of you had questions and comments on if Natsu will be getting the Rinnegan or if I'll just have him go through the entire story with just one eye. Well, all I'll say for now is that I intentionally had him lose the Rinnegan…but that doesn't mean that Natsu will never get that ocular power. That's all for now…so please REVIEW!**


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